Grand Portage National Monument

The final place we went to on Aug 12th was Grand Portage National Monument.  After Split Rock we went back to Grand Marais to check on the dogs and then left for Grand Portage in the opposite direction.  I wasn't sure what to expect at this national monument but I'm always delighted to what I find.  It is actually the site of the Ojibwe Indians, North West Company Headquarters (owned by Highland Scots) and French Voyageurs during fur trading times would converge and trade.  The Voyageurs were two groups - one were the "winterers" who lived in the Canadian northwest up to Lake Athabasca and the other group, the "pork-eaters" of Montreal.  3,000 miles of routes existed for the traders and the meeting point was at Grand Portage.  There were about 100 portages, but Grand Portage was the biggie.   At any rate, these groups, traded with each other.   The park brochure beautifully describes life at the Grand Portage - and the rendezvous of yesteryear which historically happened in June.

Web Photo - Yelp

Web Photo - MPR News

Web Photo - Crazy Crow Trading Post

BUT, to our luck, we were able to be there for the rendezvous this weekend (always the 2nd full weekend in August) so we caught the tale end of this!  Unfortunately, most everyone was gone - only a few remained.  Generally, there is cooking, Ojibwe dancers at the Pow Wow, and the Voyageurs arrive by canoe.  But, people were still in period costumes and everything was out - we just missed the crowd.

We were in Grand Marais going first to Split Rock (south) and then Grand Portage (north).

So, let's explore the Heritage Center first.  Of course, everyone was in rendezvous costume.  It was a beautiful building and a lovely bookstore.  The exhibits were professionally and tastefully done.  I was throughly impressed.

Now, we'll guide you through the Stockade and Great Hall, which is a short walk across the street from the Heritage Center in Grand Portage Bay.  First we'll start with the Ojibwe Village on the outskirts of the Stockade.  The tents smelled AMAZING with fresh pine boughs on the ground.  I could have easily live there to smell that all day - it's my favorite fragrance in all the world!

Just outside the stockade was the warehouse where boats were made (you can see the warehouse above and a side view below).

Next is inside the stockade walls, themselves.

Building on Left is the Kitchen
Building on Right is the Great Hall

First we went into the Kitchen.  We were there at the very tail end of the day, but the people were more than willing to teach us about everything there!  They were awesome!  The maple sugar tasted amazing!!

Then, to the Great Hall.  It was the "corporate boardroom" and the symbol of stature and power.  Here the partners of the North West Company dined on fine china and white tableclothes.  On some occasions, the tables were pushed back for a ball complete with wine and port.  Ceremony was important to negotiations with Native American tribal leaders and gifts of wampum belts, silver and flags were exchanged before bargaining began.  No one rushed us out, but answered any questions we had.

This is the hierarchy of the North West Company.

We walked through the grounds where the full-size birch Voyageur canoe was and the back side of the Great Hall.

These are the east doors leading to the dock.
Voyageurs would have entered through these doors.

Then, we walked out on the dock.

After the dock, we walked back along a different pathway and saw more tents that would have been used by the Voyageurs and more tee-pees used by the Ojibwe.

There is much, much more to do at Grand Portage - hike to the site of Fort Charlotte (about 8 miles one way) or go to the Overlooks or Mount Rose.  Due to the lateness of the hour, we were unable to do anything more than the Heritage Center and the Stockade and dock but what we did see was amazing!

I also saw the words Gitchigami there at Grand Portage and I thought of Lucille Ball reciting Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Poem, The Song of Hiawatha on I Love Lucy and I chuckled to myself.  I didn't know that Gitchigami meant Lake Superior!  Whaddya know!  It made more sense to me now!  I also learned that the Ojibwe Indians back in the 1700s are the Chippewa tribe today.  And, thanks to the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, we have this wonderful national monument.  They donated half of the parks 710 acres of land back in the 1950s.

On the banks of Gitchigami...

I wouldn't mind going back again for the rendezvous!  That would be super cool...it could be a great family reunion seeing everyone dressed up in their garb and the little grandkids in loincloths!  Haha!!

On the way home, we passed by a cool, abandoned fishing shack and the fog started coming in...and it lasted nearly the rest of the time we were in Grand Marais.