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Snake River (St. Croix River)
Encyclopedia
The Snake River is a tributary
of the St. Croix River
in east central Minnesota
in the United States
. It is one of three streams in Minnesota with this name (see Snake River (Minnesota)). Its name is a translation from the Ojibwa
Ginebigo-ziibi after the Dakota peoples who made their homes along this river. Kanabec County is named after this river.
, Kanabec, Mille Lacs
and Pine
counties. After initially flowing southward from its headwaters in southern Aitkin County
, the Snake flows through Kanabec County, turning eastward near Mora, Minnesota
, following a minor fault line. It drains into the St. Croix River
13 mi (21 km) east of Pine City, Minnesota
.
bimijigamaa meaning "a lake that traverses (another body of water)", located 13 mi (21 km) from the river's mouth. Pokegama Lake, located 17.5 mi (28 km) from the river's mouth, also gets its name from the Ojibwa bakegamaa meaning "a side-lake (of another body of water)".
Major tributaries of the Snake River are Knife River
, Ann River
, Groundhouse River
and Rice Creek.
, this river served as the main waterway that connected the St. Croix River
with Mille Lacs Lake
. Chief Kappamappa, as recorded by Henry Schoolcraft
, made his home at Chengwatana
at the mouth of this river. Near the outlet of the Pokegama Lake is a small creek called Mission Creek, named after a Presbyterian mission known for bringing the first printing press in Minnesota, which it was used to print literature in the Ojibwe language
. During the treaty-making periods, this river was inhabited by the Biitan-akiing-enabijig ("Border-sitters") who were equally Ojibwa
as they were Dakota
. The Biitan-akiing-enabijig had numerous skirmished among themselves as they defined themselves as either Ojibwa or Dakota, giving a false perspective that the Mdewakanton
Dakota Sioux and Ojibwa Nations were at constant war with each other. Eventually, the Biitan-akiing-enabijig who defined themselves as Ojibwa became part of the St. Croix Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and the Snake River sub-band subsequently became part of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Minnesota, one of the four constituent tribes of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
.
The North West Company Post
fur trade
post was established on the river near modern-day Pine City
in 1804. The post was used for several years, but was later abandoned and destroyed in a fire. The site was later rediscovered and excavated. The rowhouse and palisade fence were reconstructed and opened up as a living history
museum in 1970.
Together with Cross Lake and Knife River
, the 1757 edition of the Mitchell Map
identifies this river system as "Portage River" as it served as the waterway that connected the St. Croix River with Mille Lacs Lake
and the upper Mississippi River
, via a short portage.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the St. Croix River
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...
in east central Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is one of three streams in Minnesota with this name (see Snake River (Minnesota)). Its name is a translation from the Ojibwa
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
Ginebigo-ziibi after the Dakota peoples who made their homes along this river. Kanabec County is named after this river.
Course
The Snake River is about 98 mi (158 km) long and with its tributaries drains a 1,009 sq mi (2613 km²) area of AitkinAitkin County, Minnesota
Aitkin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population is 16,202. Its county seat is Aitkin. A portion of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is in the county.-History:...
, Kanabec, Mille Lacs
Mille Lacs County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,330 people, 8,638 households, and 6,003 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 10,467 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
and Pine
Pine County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,530 people, 9,939 households, and 6,917 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 15,353 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
counties. After initially flowing southward from its headwaters in southern Aitkin County
Aitkin County, Minnesota
Aitkin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population is 16,202. Its county seat is Aitkin. A portion of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is in the county.-History:...
, the Snake flows through Kanabec County, turning eastward near Mora, Minnesota
Mora, Minnesota
Mora is a city in and the county seat of Kanabec County in the central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located at the junction of Minnesota State Highways 23 and 65. The population was 3,571 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, following a minor fault line. It drains into the St. Croix River
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...
13 mi (21 km) east of Pine City, Minnesota
Pine City, Minnesota
Pine City is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,123 at the 2010 census. Pine City is the county seat of, and the largest city in, Pine County...
.
Associated lakes and tributaries
Two lakes are associated with the Snake River: Cross Lake and Pokegama Lake. Cross Lake is a translation from the OjibwaOjibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
bimijigamaa meaning "a lake that traverses (another body of water)", located 13 mi (21 km) from the river's mouth. Pokegama Lake, located 17.5 mi (28 km) from the river's mouth, also gets its name from the Ojibwa bakegamaa meaning "a side-lake (of another body of water)".
Major tributaries of the Snake River are Knife River
Knife River (Snake River)
The Knife River is a tributary of the Snake River in east central Minnesota in the United States. It is one of three streams in Minnesota with this name. Its name is a translation from the Dakota Isaanti. Knife Lake and Santee Sioux are named after this river...
, Ann River
Ann River
-See also:*List of rivers of Minnesota-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Minnesota...
, Groundhouse River
Groundhouse River
-See also:*List of rivers of Minnesota-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Minnesota...
and Rice Creek.
Culture
Along with Knife RiverKnife River (Snake River)
The Knife River is a tributary of the Snake River in east central Minnesota in the United States. It is one of three streams in Minnesota with this name. Its name is a translation from the Dakota Isaanti. Knife Lake and Santee Sioux are named after this river...
, this river served as the main waterway that connected the St. Croix River
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...
with Mille Lacs Lake
Mille Lacs Lake
Mille Lacs Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located in the counties of Mille Lacs, Aitkin and Crow Wing, roughly 100 miles north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area....
. Chief Kappamappa, as recorded by Henry Schoolcraft
Henry Schoolcraft
Henry Rowe Schoolcraft was an American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist, noted for his early studies of Native American cultures, as well as for his 1832 discovery of the source of the Mississippi River. He married Jane Johnston, whose parents were Ojibwe and Scots-Irish...
, made his home at Chengwatana
Chengwatana, Minnesota
Chengwatana was an Ojibwa village, located along the lower course of the Snake River, Minnesota. Its name in Ojibwe was Zhingwaadena, a contraction of Zhingwaak-oodena or "White-Pine Town"; English uses the French transcription of the Ojibwe...
at the mouth of this river. Near the outlet of the Pokegama Lake is a small creek called Mission Creek, named after a Presbyterian mission known for bringing the first printing press in Minnesota, which it was used to print literature in the Ojibwe language
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
. During the treaty-making periods, this river was inhabited by the Biitan-akiing-enabijig ("Border-sitters") who were equally Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
as they were Dakota
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
. The Biitan-akiing-enabijig had numerous skirmished among themselves as they defined themselves as either Ojibwa or Dakota, giving a false perspective that the Mdewakanton
Mdewakanton
Mdewakantonwan are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti Dakota . Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota, which in the Dakota language was called mde wakan .As part of the Santee Sioux, their ancestors had migrated from the Southeast of the present-day United States, where the...
Dakota Sioux and Ojibwa Nations were at constant war with each other. Eventually, the Biitan-akiing-enabijig who defined themselves as Ojibwa became part of the St. Croix Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and the Snake River sub-band subsequently became part of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Minnesota, one of the four constituent tribes of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe , also known as the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians or the Mille Lacs Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, is an Ojibwa tribe located in Minnesota. The tribe boasts 3,942 tribal members as of July, 2007...
.
The North West Company Post
North West Company Post
The North West Company Fur Post is a reconstructed fur trade post on the Snake River west of Pine City, Minnesota. The post was established by John Sayer, a partner in the North West Company, in the fall of 1804, and built by his crew of voyageurs. The site operated for several years, although...
fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
post was established on the river near modern-day Pine City
Pine City, Minnesota
Pine City is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,123 at the 2010 census. Pine City is the county seat of, and the largest city in, Pine County...
in 1804. The post was used for several years, but was later abandoned and destroyed in a fire. The site was later rediscovered and excavated. The rowhouse and palisade fence were reconstructed and opened up as a living history
Living history
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is...
museum in 1970.
Together with Cross Lake and Knife River
Knife River (Snake River)
The Knife River is a tributary of the Snake River in east central Minnesota in the United States. It is one of three streams in Minnesota with this name. Its name is a translation from the Dakota Isaanti. Knife Lake and Santee Sioux are named after this river...
, the 1757 edition of the Mitchell Map
Mitchell Map
The Mitchell Map is a map made by John Mitchell , which was reprinted several times during the second half of the 18th century. The Mitchell Map was used as a primary map source during the Treaty of Paris for defining the boundaries of the newly independent United States...
identifies this river system as "Portage River" as it served as the waterway that connected the St. Croix River with Mille Lacs Lake
Mille Lacs Lake
Mille Lacs Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located in the counties of Mille Lacs, Aitkin and Crow Wing, roughly 100 miles north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area....
and the upper Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, via a short portage.