Sherburne County Heritage Center Interpretive Plan Final Report 2005

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3. Some visitors will be able to summarize the stages of American Indian use of Sherburne County. (cognitive) 4. Some visitors will recall that a decisive battle between the Dakota and Ojibwe over control of the area that later became Sherburne County was fought at the juncture of the Elk River with the Mississippi. (cognitive) 5. Some visitors will be moved by the spiritual nature of the storytelling experience to learn more about Ojibwe and Dakota customs. (affective) Visitor Experience Based on the accompanying chart, a waist -high timeline surrounding an Ojibwe lodge could trace changes in vegetation with changes in human occupation and use. Since his sources were the Ojibwe oral tradition, visitors should hear William Warren's detailed stories of the Battle of Elk River in 1772 and 1773 as if they are listening to an elder tell the story of a long -ago battle. Visitors could enter a reproduced Ojibwe lodge and sit on skin -covered benches or on the floor) surrounding a simulated campfire. The simulated smell of sweet grass should emanate from the campfire. Once inside, a projected image of an Ojibwe elder should tell the story in Warren's own words, (edited for length as needed) beginning in Ojibwe to give people the flavor of the language, but then switching to English. The narrator should discuss how Ojibwe tracked their history through the winter count and the oral tradition, so visitors get a sense of the differences between an Ojibwe version of past events and a traditional European version of the past. An Ojibwe war song (below) could be sung and translated on a panel to show the importance of music to Ojibwe and the suggestion of tragedy that it contains. This could help humanize the stories and create empathy. Ojibwe traditionally only told stories in winter, so explanation will be necessary and an Ojibwe advisor should be consulted. Because this presentation focuses on a battle, rather than social history, visitors should be referred to SCHS special events or the Mille Lacs Indian Museum in Milaca for more detailed information about the everyday life of the Ojibwe. Differing Points of View 1. Some people may believe that Warren's oral history evidence and the Ojibwe oral tradition is unreliable. 2. Some people may believe that Warren's story is too slanted toward the Ojibwe side of the story. 3. Some people may object that focusing on battles reinforces a negative public view of American Indians. 4. Some people may believe that the Dakota voluntarily left the Mille Lacs area to follow the bison onto the prairies. 5. Some people may object that the presentation focuses too much on Ojibwe, so an additional panel specifically on Dakota may be needed, perhaps by using some of the Pond brothers' book on Lake Calhoun Dakota. Iconic object/media/activities 1. Ojibwe lodge and interior reproductions Sherburne County Historical Society Heritage Center Interpretive Plan, April 21, 2005, page 29