mille lacs indian museum

Visited as part of a tour group so we had a tour guide explain the "four season" diorama. It contains a wealth of information about the lives of the Ojibwe between 1750 to 1850s in that area. Very fascinating to learn how each season brought about activities that ensured the survival of the nation and how each individual contributed to that success. There were a number of beautiful wall hangings decorating the museum that were created from different barks that were just gorgeous.

Beautiful museum respectful of a culture that has often been disrespected. Not so large that I grew tired of the information and exhibits-- tasteful, relevant, right-sized!

Promotes the positive side of Ojibwe Culture & Heritage. Beautiful exhibits with the Trading Post next door with beadwork for purchase.

Our experience at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum was just okay. We toured the museum on a special activity day. I'm so glad we did, because it would have been boring if not. The museum put on a powwow and our kids made shoulder bags. You can find a list of these days on the Minnesota Historical Society's website. Overall, the staff could have been more courteous. They stood at the cash register and did not appear as though they wanted to be there. Also, MOST of what we read at the museum was negative toward the white settlers. This was a big turnoff. The Four Season's display was the most interesting, but the young girl giving the tour was not at all knowledgable. She mentioned the Ojibwe migrated from the "East", but didn't know where from. Could be better!

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe have assembled a very informative and interactive museum that provides viewers with a very educating array of displays. The museum is next door to the original trading post which is now a retail operation loaded with Indian related goodies as well as offering historic stories about the trading post itself.The real star of the show is the modern Mille Lacs Indian Museum. There is an array of displays that feature stories about the Mille Lacs Ojibwe culture, ceremonial costumes, and informative presentation of food and medicine.The "not to be missed" portion of this museum is the tour of the four season rotunda room which tells a very detailed story of how the Indians lived (and survived) over the course of a year...including harsh winter conditions. Did you know the Indians sunk their birch-bark canoes and re-floated them when the ice left the local lakes? Why? To ensure the bark did not dry out, crack and leak when their canoes were out back into use once spring arrived.You will come away from this museum with a greater understanding of the heritage of these American Indians.

I really enjoyed the museum and gift store. Very beautiful items here. Definitely recommend this if up in the area!

Four Seasons room not to be missed! We have five kids and all enjoyed the museum, but the four seasons room was absolutely the highlight of the experience!

The trading post next to the museum is in the white buildings. On the outside it does not look like much, but on the inside -WOW. They have many local and Minnesota Indian artifacts and crafts for sale at reasonable prices. They even tell you who made them and what tribe they are from.

The history of this part of Minnesota is amazing, Mille Lacs Lake is beautiful, but full of mystery, so this museum provides some answers to questions visitors may have.

We had a foreign exchange student, and I would recommend this as a place to visit. It was very interesting for our family.

We often visit this museum while at Camp Onomia in Onamia. The museum has real looking wax figures in all seasons to help show what life was like for the Indian people. We also enjoy shopping in the gift store next door.

The rest of it is very bland and uninteresting but the Four Seasons room is cool - especially if you get a guide who tells you all about the different camps and purposes of tools / hunts / etc.

Fun to learn about Native American local culture. Wonderful exhibits