Mille Lacs Kathio State Park near Onamia in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Why Did the Ojibwe People Choose to Live Here?
Kathio A Place of Choice
| | National Historic Landmark District | |
Photographed by McGhiever, May 29, 2025
1. Why Did the Ojibwe People Choose to Live Here? Marker
"Imagine when the landscape was filled with huge trees, abundant game and small villages. Wisps of smoke rise from the villages as women dry meat and fish. This is a place of many plants, to be used for medicine, food, baskets and mats. Imagine birds flying over clear and sparkling water, water so clean you can quench your thirst, with our sacred mahnomen swaying in the breeze. This is a place to serene, you can hear children laughing in the distance. Men are making canoes from their travels to other places. My people are always preparing for winter, a time for stories and legends to be shared."
Elisse Aune, Cultural Resource Specialist, Retired
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Erected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 46° 8.885′ N, 93° 46.208′ 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 west loop of the Kathio
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Central Minnesota. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Northern Hardwood Forest (within shouting distance of this marker); Oak Savanna (within shouting distance of this marker); White Pine Forest (within shouting distance of this marker); Ogechie Lake (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Red Pine & Jack Pine Forest (about 300 feet away); Logging the Pines (about 300 feet away); A Living Laboratory (about 400 feet away); Spruce Forest (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Onamia.
Photographed by McGhiever, May 29, 2025
2. Why Did the Ojibwe People Choose to Live Here? Marker on the Kathio Landmark Trail
Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 39 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 11, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
