The Anisinabi:

From the earliest time the Natives have believed that wendigo, the Spirit, was dwelling in various rocks on Lake of the Woods. At these places they would go and leave offerings on the shoreline. Even today the tradition continues but the gifts now are no more than a bit of tobacco crumbs that are dropped into the lake as a tribute. The rock is such an unusual shape that almost any viewer with a bit of imagination can see it may look like a person or animal.

Devil's Gap is one of the best known spirit rocks in the area. In 1894 three Canadian brothers who were visiting the area, painted a face on this rock as a joke. People liked the way the features were presented that during the intervening years it has been painted over and over.

Prehistoric Time Scale of the Kenora District

8000-5000 BC - Palleo-Indian

5000-2000 BC - Archaic

200 BC- 900 AD - Initial Woodland (Laurel Culture)

900 AD - 1600 AD - Terminal Woodland (Blackduck Culture)

1600 - Present - Historic (Cree, Assiniboine & Ojibiway Cultures.)

Indian Rock Painting locations on Lake of the Woods

More than one hundred (100) Indian Rock Paintings are in the Sunset Country Region and many are found on Lake of the Woods. Whitefish Bay they are on Annie Island, Picture Rock Island and Hyter Peninsula near Sioux Narrows. In Sunset Channelabove the Aulneau Peninsula and in the narrows between Painted Rock and Split Rock Island, not far from Morson are others.

 

The Explorers

Pierre Gautherier de La Verendrye born at Three Rivers Quebec 1685. It was from Three Rivers that missionaries Breboeuf, Lalemant, Le Jeune and Daniels began their journeys which ended in martyrdom at the hands of the Mohawks, It was from Three Rivers that Joilet and Marquette started their explorations to the Great Lakes and Minnesota, and from their also that LaSalle ventured towards Illinions. Also from Three Rivers the store of Young Radisson a found of the Hudson's Bay Comopany was carried away by the Iroquios at the age of sixteen, escaped, recaptured and saved from death by durning at the stake. And it was from Three Rivers that De Noyon set forth to build a fort on Rainy River and put his mark as the "first whiteman" to see Lake of the Woods.

The Early Explorers - Click Here