Few states in the country personify their geographic reputation — in this case, the Midwest — as well as Minnesota. In its ethos, style, topography, and even its preferred libations and dairy-heavy diet, Minnesota is decidedly midwestern, and that seems to be just the way Minnesotans like it.
Citizens of the “Gopher State” tend to greet their fellow persons with a smile and a friendly salutation. They might even pour a cold beer, offer a plate of cheese curds, or provide a Minneapolis specialty “Juicy Lucy,” a cheese-infused hamburger patty topped with even more cheese, to a friend or stranger alike.
When one finds oneself in the “North Star State,” the feeling is belonging and welcoming.
However, there is more to the Minnesotan way than just good beer and cheesy treats. This way is informed as much by its history as its present.
Minnesota was admitted into the Union as a state in 1858 after decades as a territory and trapping and fur trading outpost. Years before White settlers inhabited its lands, the Dakota people primarily lived and thrived in present-day Minnesota for centuries. The state is home to extensive historical and archeological treasures, with evidence of some human inhabitants going back over three millennia.
Today, it boasts a diversity of people and cultures that continue to write the story of Minnesota. Parts of that story can be found and learned by visiting one of its two National Monuments. Read on to learn more!
Grand Portage National Monument: This incredible site offers visitors a chance to step back in time! This area was once a bustling hub of the North American fur trade. Two distinctly different groups of people and their partnership during this period helped shape the area and make Minnesota what it became and what it is today. The Northwest Company and the Grand Portage Anishinaabe worked together to facilitate trade along an over eight-mile trail, a critical route for millennia. It allowed Tribes and explorers to bypass high falls and gorges, making for an easier path and contributing to the fur trading boom of the 18th and 19th centuries. Visitors today can walk in the footsteps of these explorers and Native Tribes and hike the grounds to explore the natural area themselves.
Photo Courtesy NPS
Pipestone National Monument: One of the most storied spots in North American Native American history can be found in Pipestone, Minnesota, at this fascinating monument. Scores of Native Tribes have traditions that connect them to this site, and scientists have found evidence of human inhabitance going back some 3,000 years. Native people have been quarrying and mining the natural pipestone in the ground for numerous uses, and present-day Tribes continue to do so, making this spot one of the only federal National Park sites preserving this ongoing living tradition. Today, visitors can tour the grounds and learn more about how it is now officially affiliated with 23 Indigenous Tribes and why this area is considered sacred. The monument also exhibits the historical significance of the people and cultures who lived and thrived here for thousands of years.
Photo Courtesy NPS
