Lake Superior History

The First Americans

The first people identified in the history of Lake Superior are the Laurel culture, who arrived in the area about 2,000 years ago. Archaeologists hypothesize that the Laurel culture were the first people to use bows and arrows in the Lake Superior region. The Blackduck culture arrived next, approximately 1,200 years ago, and replaced the Laurels, who had either already emigrated, or who were driven out or assimilated into the Blackduck culture. Blackduck people were the first wild rice harvesters of the region, and represent a longstanding part of Lake Superior history.

The Anishinabe

The Anishinabe culture followed the Blackduck and were present when the Europeans arrived. Though displaced by Iroquois bearing European guns, the Anishinabe people remained on the eastern shores of Lake Superior and lived as nomads. Anishinabe families usually had many canoes, since both travel by water and wild rice harvesting were important facets of their culture.

The First Europeans

Led by Étienne Brûlé, who was also the first European to traverse the Toronto Carrying-place Trail, the first Europeans explored the Lake Superior region in 1623. French explorations of the region led to the development of the fur trade, which at the time was based primarily on beaver pelts. The French traded with the Anishinabe, and recognized the importance of gift-giving in their culture. Years later, as beavers pelts became scarce, the French explorers moved westward.

The Arrival of the British

When the British came to occupy the Lake Superior region, they were not so understanding or appreciative of Anishinabe culture, which caused great strain between the two peoples. Consequently, when the French and British went to war, the Anishinabe people fought with the French. British relations with the Anishinabe changed during the American revolution, when the Anishinabe fought alongside the British and were allowed to maintain their autonomy under British rule. Today, the Anishinabe people still live in the Lake Superior region, and wild rice harvesting is still an important part of their culture, which unites tribes across political boundaries.

The French Voyageurs

Canoe Manned by Voyageurs Passing a Waterfall by Frances Anne Hopkins (Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1989-401-1)

After the British came to power in the region 1793, the French Voyageurs retained the North West Company, which faced direct competition from the British-owned Hudson’s Bay Company. Because the latter was easier to reach, rivalries leading to battles between the two companies ensued, until the companies merged in 1821. The French Voyageurs were critical players in the fur trade. These were strong men who paddled and carried packs weighing up to 41 kilograms (90 pounds) despite their small build (the French Voyageurs averaged 5 feet tall). Originally dressed in tanned hides and moccasins, the Voyageur clothing evolved into the well-known cloth garments adorned with stocking caps and sashes. Voyageurs sang during paddling and pack carrying, as this kept the morale of the men up. Living among the native peoples of the area, the Voyageurs were accepted in the native communities, and many Voyageurs married native women. The decline of the fur industry, due to over-harvest and changes in European fashions, eventually brought about the end of the Voyageur era.

An Unforgiving Abyss

Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, is known by the Anishabe people as unforgiving, never giving up its dead. Accordingly, Lake Superior is rich with sunken treasures and many known shipwrecks (the most famous being the SS Edmund Fitzgerald which sank in a storm on November 10, 1975). This story of this vessel, the largest iron-ore ship of its time, was commemorated by Canadian musician Gordon Lightfoot’s 1976 song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”.

Source: Beery, Tom et al. 1996. The Lake Superior Curriculum Guide. Duluth, MN: Lake Superior Centre.