… was designated a national historical site on this date in 1951. It was redesignated a national monument in 1958.
For over 400 years Ojibwe families of Grand Portage have tapped maples every spring on a ridge located just off Lake Superior. During the summer, Ojibwe fishermen harvest in the same areas their forefathers have. Before the United States and Canada existed, the trading of furs, ideas and genes between the Ojibwe and French and English fur traders flourished. From 1778 until 1802, welcomed by the Grand Portage Ojibwe, the North West Company located their headquarters and western supply depot here for business and a summer rendezvous. Today, Grand Portage National Monument and Indian Reservation form a bridge between people, time and culture.
Grand Portage specifically is the 9 mile path around waterfalls and rapids on the last 20 miles of the Pigeon River before it reaches Lake Superior.
The Pigeon River (Rivière aux Tourtes) is the international boundary immediately west of Lake Superior.