The National Park Service and the Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa work together at Grand Portage National Monument to support, interpret, and preserve the lifeways of the Ojibwe people, including the historic values of the Grand Portage trail. The Band has long been involved in stewardship of the Monument, where tribe members play a critical role in management, landscape maintenance, and historic preservation.
Locations:Grand Portage National Monument, Isle Royale National Park
In 2021, connections were renewed between the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the National Park Service, but it wasn't always this way. Grand Portage National Monument and Isle Royale program managers echo the past and look to the future in this excerpt.
THE GREENSTONE (2022) Article by Anna Deschampe and Seth DePasqual
The Stone Bridge is a representative example of the rustic aesthetic that characterized both National Park Service and Civilian Conservation Corps construction projects. The single-span Stone Bridge crosses Grand Portage Creek and provides important access to the nearby Grand Portage Band school and community buildings. This bridge is heavily used by residents as it provides a vital link between the two portions of the Grand Portage community.
In 1958, the Grand Portage Band donated part of its land inside its reservation to the National Park Service to establish the site of the Grand Portage National Monument. Band members hoped that the new park unit, complete with a visitor center and museum, would revitalize the reservation's struggling economy and bring jobs to Grand Portage.
The Commissioner of Indian Affairs under Herbert Hoover, concerned about the impact of the Great Depression on American Indians, suggested a modified Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) program be created eventually named the Civilian Conservation Corps-Indian Division (CCC-ID). The Consolidated Chippewa were the first Minnesota participants in the CCC-ID. The Grand Portage Band welcomed economic support because of a depressed fish market, their main source of income.
