Vineland in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Okosimaan
Photographed by McGhiever, May 29, 2025
1. Okosimaan Marker
Squash (okosimaan) was first grown in the Americas. The earliest plants grew in what we know as northeastern Mexico and the southeastern United States.
Most Three Sisters gardens include winter squash, which can be stored for months. We grow two traditional varieties in our garden here at the museum: Iroquois and Lakota squash.
Pumpkin, 2016. Photo by ACES/Bruce Dupree
Drying Food
Native people grow squash of all sizes, shapes, colors, and tastes. Gourds and pumpkins are among them. Dried squash rings, along with berries and fish, can be preserved for months.
Dried squash, 2011. Photo by Leslie Seaton/Flickr
Learn the Ojibwe Language
Okosimaan (oh-koh-see-MAHN): squash
Erected by Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 46° 10.569′ N, 93° 45.349′ W. Marker is in Vineland, Minnesota, in Mille Lacs County. It can be reached from the intersection of Oodena Drive and U.S. 169, on the right when traveling east. The marker
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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mandaamin (here, next to this marker); Meet the Three Sisters (here, next to this marker); Mashkodiisiminag (here, next to this marker); Harry & Jeannette Ayer House (a few steps from this marker); Tourist Cottage (within shouting distance of this marker); Mille Lacs Indian Boat Works (within shouting distance of this marker); Izatys (approx. 0.9 miles away); The Kathio Villages (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all
Photographed by McGhiever, May 29, 2025
2. Okosimaan Marker on the southeast side of the demonstration garden
Credits. This page was last revised on July 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2026, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2026, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
