After living in the cramped quarters of their rental cabins for more than twenty years, Harry and Jeannette Ayer built this house in 1941.
During the heyday of the Trading Post, the Ayers lived simply during the summer. Each winter they . . . — — Map (db m237719) HM
In this vicinity stood the grand Sioux village of Izatys where Duluth planted the French arms on July 2, 1679.
The settlement was visited by Father Hennepin in 1680. About 1750 the Chippewa moving westward from Lake Superior, captured the . . . — — Map (db m19760) HM
Corn (mandaamin) is a cereal grain. Native people in southern Mexico were the first to grow corn crops, about 10,000 years ago.
The leafy corn stalk produces silk and ears separately. The ears yield edible kernels, or seeds. Corn comes . . . — — Map (db m304034) HM
Indigenous people first grew beans (mashkodiisiminag) from wild legumes native to the Americas.
Beans are native to many places in the Americas. Varieties include green and black; lime, mesquite, tepary; and scarlet runners.
Most . . . — — Map (db m301648) HM
Anishibaabe people use four sacred medicines. Three are growing here:
• Asemaa (tobacco)
• Wiingashk (sweetgrass)
• Wayaabishkaabagak (sage)
• Giizhik (cedar)
Asemaa (tobacco) is used for ceremonies. It is offered when seeking . . . — — Map (db m308246) HM
The Three Sisters are a trio of plants: corn, beans, and squash. Indigenous farmers across the Americas grow them together.
In many Native communities, the Three Sisters are the most important crops. They are a cornerstone of companion . . . — — Map (db m299187) HM
It's mid-summer, 1929. You're standing here looking at a two-story wooden building with large rooms and lots of windows.
That building was the Mille Lacs Indian Boat Works, run by Trading Post owner Harry Ayer. From 1929 to 1939, a crew . . . — — Map (db m237792) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m306085) HM
Vacationers at Mille Lacs once stayed in a cottage like this.
From 1920 until the 1940s, the Ayers rented out cottages. The furnishings were simple—a couple of beds, a wood stove, a wash stand, table, and chairs. You could get a good . . . — — Map (db m237729) HM
Lakes and waterways are essential to Ojibwe life and culture.
Anishinaabe have always used lakes, rivers, ponds, and wetlands as transportation routes. These waters are also important sources of food and medicine.
Gathering . . . — — Map (db m309521) HM
