ONE THOUSAND LAKES INDIAN MUSEUM & TRADING POST

Open since 1996, this museum dedicated to the culture of the Ojibwe Native American tribe is well worth a visit if you're traveling to northern Minnesota from the Twin Cities. Do Indians still wear traditional dress? Do their children go to school? How do they live? This museum aims to answer any questions you may have about Indians. Timelines, artefacts, listening stations and videos tell the story of the Ojibwe people (who lived in the area for a long time), their culture and traditions, which are still carried on today. Having long lived by hunting, fishing and gathering, the Indians now have casinos (which are not taxed) and have become their main source of income. Just across the road is the tribal casino. In the Four Seasons Room, the museum's centerpiece, four shelters have been recreated. You'll enter this room accompanied by a guide who will explain the various seasonal activities of the camp. During the summer, pow-wows are held on the reserve. These are Indian gatherings (with their share of singing, dancing...) that enable them to preserve their heritage and traditions, and to reunite as a family. Not far from the museum, in a reproduction of a 1930s post office - accessible even in winter - you'll find various publications, objects and handicrafts.