A Brief History of the Land

Before European settlers arrived, places that are known as the Boundary Waters, Superior Hiking Trail, Apostle Islands, and Porcupine Mountains were home to indigenous peoples of North America for as many as 11,000 years. The Ojibwe or Ashinaabe people were the most recent and prominent native people to inhabit in these regions and they canoed, fished, gathered, and hunted in the Boundary Waters and Lake Superior region since about 900 AD and still live in these regions today. Historic pictographs depict hunting parties, Native American mythology, and wildlife. Through a series of unfulfilled treaties, over the years this region was colonized by European settlers.

Arrival of Fur Traders & European Settlers

As early as the 1600’s, European fur traders and voyagers began exploring these lands—they traveled over the numerous lakes and rivers and found convenient waterways and connecting portages, most shown to them by their native guides, whose people had used them for several hundred years. Continued growth and colonization soon brought the lumber industry to these areas.

Porcupine Mountains

The Porcupine Mountains were named for the shape resembling a crouching porcupine by the Ojibwe people. While most of the upper Midwest was logged, In 1942, Aldo Leopold advocated for preservation of “The Great Uncut,” and in 1945 the Michigan legislature dedicated 60,000 acres as a Michigan State Park as Old Growth Forest.

Boundary Waters

Although much of the area was logged off during the late 1800's and early 1900's, pristine timber stands still exist. The Wilderness Act of 1964 designated the BWCA as a unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System. This act recognized the unique history and character of the BWCA and provided for special management considerations.

Apostle Islands

In 1970, largely through the efforts of Gaylord Nelson, 20 islands and 2,500 acres on the tip of the Bayfield Peninsula were designated as the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

For additional resources and more extensive history of the Ojibwe people.