Inspiring change
Local support for Ukraine spreads
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HOUGHTON -- Every Wednesday near the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, Copper Country residents wave blue and yellow flags and show solidarity for Ukraine, after years of war and terror for the European ally. Now, a few dozen individuals per week for over four years has now turned into a legislative effort to help spread awareness about Ukraine, both at the state and federal levels.
Last week, the Michigan Senate passed resolution SR 141 condemning the abduction and forced deportation of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation. This resolution was brought to the table by Copper Country resident Nadija Packauskas.
"By our first march, that would be the Sunday after the full-scale invasion, we had 100 homemade flags and a 20-foot, blue and yellow flag made by local residents of Hancock, Chassell and Houghton," she said. "We've been walking the bridge every single week for the last four and a half years."
Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Packauskas has been steadfast in her support, along with her father, Vytautas. Packauskas said she enlisted the help of State Senator Ed McBroom (R-Waucedah Township) and State Representative Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock) to back the resolution and to try and get it passed in their respective legislative bodies.
State Senators Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and McBroom co-sponsored the resolution in the State Senate which was unanimously passed Thursday. "It's been my honor to help out today. You all [Yoopers for Ukraine] have done the hard work, I've just been a small cog in the wheel," McBroom said.
The resolution is finalized in the state senate and does not need to go back to the state house or on to Governor Gretchen Whitmer's desk.
"At its core, this resolution is not about international politics, but rather the basic human right of a child to be with their family," Markkanen said. "We are asking that these children be returned to their families. I am proud to sponsor this resolution."
Packauskas said in her nine trips to Washington D.C., she and her father were welcomed by Representative Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet).
"It's really lovely when legislators mean what they say, that they really want to listen to their constituents and they hear their constituents," she said. "We were welcomed by every office and at no time were we asked how we voted of who we voted for."
Packauskas said she often feels blessed through the opportunities she has had from Yooper for Ukraine. However, she added the fight is not over, and there is much to do in order to put an end to the war in Ukraine.
"Our main goal and our only goal has been education and information," she said. "Making sure that the truth is told about what's happening in Ukraine and making sure people can sift through the propaganda and understand what the realities are."