For more information:
Evaluation of Sucker Lakes Site
Minnesota
Archaeologist Article:
Profiles, Mystery Bones, and Pots:
The South Pike Bay Site
National Register Evaluation of Star Island
Other Sites:
MN Historical Society
Archaeology
Located near the headwaters of the Mississippi River, the Chippewa National Forest manages 666,269 acres of forested lands spread over 1.6 million acres. Most of the Leech Lake Reservation lies within the National Forest boundary. The Forest also includes three of the state's largest lakes: Lake Winnibigoshish, Leech and Cass, linked by the Mississippi River. The area is rich in archaeological sites from all time periods.
The Chippewa National Forest Heritage Program began in the mid 1970's, with a mission of cultural resource management. The Heritage Program focuses on compliance with federal and state preservation laws and regulations, and it provides opportunities and resources for research and public education.
Program Information:
About 2800 cultural resource sites have been identified within the Chippewa National Forest boundary with approximately 1600 of these located on National Forest System lands. Most of these sites have been identified by cultural resource surveys. The Chippewa National Forest averages 8000 to 10,000 acres of survey each year for 80 to 100 project areas. Common projects requiring surveys include timber sales, creating wildlife openings, utility installations, gravel pit development and expansions, land exchanges, special use permit activities, prescribed burns, and recreation facility development or maintenance.
Cultural resource sites are usually excluded from the project area to avoid harming the site. If this is not possible, the site must be evaluated to determine if it is significant enough to preserve, and meets the criteria for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places. Some cultural resources located beneath the soil are carefully examined to discover the nature and extent of items deposited there. Sites eligible for the National Register may require more extensive excavation to recover archaeological data that would be lost once the project activity occurs.
Data recoveries have been relatively rare on the Chippewa National Forest, but site evaluations involving excavation are more common. Over the last 20 years, valuable research has resulted from these opportunities to examine ancient life in the Headwaters area. Archaeological excavations and historic building restorations, such as those at Joyce Estate, Old Cut Foot Sioux Ranger Station and Rabideau CCC Camp also provide opportunities for individuals and organizations to participate and learn about the excavation process, preservation techniques, local history, and Forest Service management issues.
Some unique and representative cultural resource sites are interpreted and easily accessed by visitors to the Chippewa National Forest. Educational resources are also available.