La Pointe in Ashland County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Mooningwaanikaaning
Aaniin, visitors. Welcome to Mooningwaanikaaning, the homeland of the Ojibwe people. The Ojibwe name for Madeline Island means “home of the yellow-breasted flicker bird.” This island was the last-foretold stopping point on the Ojibwe migration from the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean. Hundreds of years ago, a prophet instructed the Anishinaabeg to move west until they found the food that grows on water and a sacred island. There, they could live mino-bimaadiziwin, which means to live in a good way with intention and to be in balance and at peace with yourself, others, and the environment. They brought with them the Water Drum, Sacred Scrolls, and the Sacred Fire, transported from location to location for over 500 years. Hundreds of miles were traveled via jiimaanan (canoes) following the Great Lakes.
Oral tradition says a great miigis (shell) appeared in the sky to give Anishinaabeg guidance on the journey. Some Anishinaabeg remained at stopping places and created oodenawan (villages), while others continued the journey. When they reached Lake Superior, some took the northern route along the lake; others took the southern route. They eventually met near what is Duluth, Minnesota, today. Although many years had passed, they recognized each other because they had the same songs. Anishinaabeg who took the southern route along the lake told their relatives about an island they had passed. They felt drawn to it and believed they would find mino-bimaadiziwin there. The people traveled to Mooningwaanikaaning and placed tobacco on the shore, and the miigis rose up. This was the ancestral homeland for which they had been searching.
Erected 2023
Funded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation
Wisconsin Historical Society
Erected 2023 by Wisconsin Historical Society. (Marker Number 608.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Native Americans.
Location. 46° 46.814′ N, 90° 47.297′ W. Marker is in La Pointe, Wisconsin, in Ashland County. The marker is at the intersection of Bayfield - La Pointe Avenue and Colonel Woods Avenue (County Route H), on the left when traveling north on Bayfield - La Pointe Avenue. Marker is located on the grounds of the Madeline Island Historical Museum. Madeline Island is accessible from the ferry at Bayfield harbor, which runs every 30 minutes in season. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 226 Colonel Woods Ave, La Pointe WI 54850, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Early Vessels (approx. 0.4 miles away); La Pointe Indian Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); Michel Cadotte (approx. 1.8 miles away); A Turning Point in Place and Time (approx. 2.3 miles away); Schooner Pretoria (approx. 2.3 miles away); Memorial to Commercial Fishermen of Bayfield (approx. 2˝ miles away); The Booth Cooperage (approx. 2˝ miles away); Bayfield Historic Waterfront (approx. 2˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in La Pointe.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2023, by Fitzie Heimdahl of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 199 times since then and 84 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 13, 2023, by Fitzie Heimdahl of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 3, 4. submitted on November 28, 2023, by Fitzie Heimdahl of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.