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Located on the magnificent shore and boreal forest of Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota, Grand Portage National Monument preserves a vital headquarters of 18th, 19th and 20th century fur trade activity and Ojibwe heritage. The monument is enclosed within Grand Portage Indian Reservation, for centuries home to Ojibwe Indian families. Within a reconstructed palisade wall, the great hall and kitchen complex have been rebuilt. Nearby, a canoe warehouse houses the vessels, crafted from birch, cedar and spruce raw materials, essential for travel along east-west fur trade routes. The eight and one-half mile "Great Carrying Place" or Grand Portage connects the summer headquarters compound of The Northwest Company to an unrestored Fort Charlotte located across the Pigeon River from Canada. This centuries old Grand Portage became a major gateway into the interior of North America for exploration, trade and commerce. It linked Lake Superior with a westward system of lakes and rivers. During the late 18th century, Grand Portage served as the inland headquarters for the North West Fur Company and was the location for a summer rendezvous involving Indian families, voyageurs, clerks, wintering partners and agents.
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