National Parks 2022: Grand Portage National Monument

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It’s time for the annual National Parks Club/KAL!

Every month from May-August, we’ll be releasing 4 new parks colorways. We have almost exhausted all of the traditional US National Parks, so this year, we’ll be showcasing other National Parks areas, such as National Recreation Areas, Heritage sites, etc. Featured parks will fall under one of 4 categories:

  • National History – Eastern USA
  • National History – Western USA
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Human Rights Leaders/notable people

Check out our Socks and Hats on Vacay/Staycay summertime KAL with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-hats-on-vacay-2022/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

And, to play our new-to-2022 Vacay Bingo game, head in to your participating LYS and grab a gameboard or download it here: https://knittedwit.com/parks-2022/

Where is it located?

On the north shore of Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota.

Whose land does it reside upon?

Grand Portage National Monument is within the homeland of the Grand Portage Anishinaabe. Approximately half of the land for the national monument was donated by the Grand Portage Band. This community is the homeplace and center of tribal government for the Grand Portage Band (the Band) of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe). Their intimate knowledge of and connection to the land, water, plants, and wildlife of the area allowed them to endure in the sometimes harsh environment before and after European exploration and nation-building. As other cultures explored this area, the tools and technologies of the Ojibwe were adapted by newcomers to exploit the natural resources as global commodities. The Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) have persevered here for centuries, through the European incursion into this continent and division into two countries, the United States and (then British) Canada.

When was it established?

January 27, 1960

About this park:

Gichi Onigaming is the Ojibwe term for the “Great Carrying Place,” which is what these Indigenous peoples called present-day Grand Portage. It’s an 8.5-mile portage trail that allowed travelers to bypass high falls, cascades, and gorges, and has been a critical transportation route for thousands of years. Because of the area’s geology, topography, natural resources, and strategic location, the trail was part of an ancient transcontinental trade route connecting the Great Lakes to the interior of the continent.

Colorway Inspiration:

We used this photo of the historic depot overlooking Lake Superior as our inspiration photo: https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=3098183&id=9224B04F-1DD8-B71B-0B6D9AC425D7B332&gid=8D27CD46-1DD8-B71B-0BC9536189E2A809

For more information: