Mille Lacs Kathio State Park near Onamia in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Looking Beyond the Objects
Kathio A Place of Choice
| | National Historical Landmark District | |
Photographed by McGhiever, May 29, 2025
1. Looking Beyond Objects Marker
"It is important to look at archaeological findings as more than mere objects to learn the social dynamics behind the objects. When we put the artifacts in their social context, we begin to learn about the human element of the past. For example, corn and other items were given as gifts to cement trade alliances. There are complex meanings behind each object and feature we encounter."
Guy Gibbon (19392020)
Archaeologist, University of Minnesota
Erected by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 46° 9.002′ N, 93° 46.107′ W. Marker is near Onamia, Minnesota, in Mille Lacs County. It is in Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. It can be reached from no nearby street. The marker is on the Kathio Landmark Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Onamia MN 56359, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Minnesota. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Wilford Site (a few steps from this marker); Why Did People of the Late Prehistoric Period Choose to Live Here? (a few steps from this marker); The Kathio Villages (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named The Wilford Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Early Homestead (within shouting distance of this marker); Reading the Cultural Landscape (within shouting distance of this marker); Family Homesteads (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Forest through Time (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Onamia.
Photographed by McGhiever, May 29, 2025
2. Looking Beyond the Objects Marker (foreground) at the Wilford site in Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
Credits. This page was last revised on August 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 108 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 3, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
