Walking the Old Road

Walking the Old Road: The Story of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Chippewa is a series told through the words and stories of the people who lived in Chippewa City.  By recording the history of Chippewa City, it’s our intent to honor the people who came before by sharing the views, stories and life experiences of those most often marginalized within the context of American history.

The series is produced by Staci Lola Drouillard, a Grand Marais native of Grand Marais Chippewa descent. While attending college in 1987, Staci interviewed Ojibwe artist George Morrison at Grand Portage. It was at this time that Staci first began to unravel the story of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Chippewa. Her research was written into the book Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe, U of MN Press, 2019.

Photos for this series are courtesy of the Cook County Historical Society and portions of some achieved interviews courtesy of the Grand Portage National Monument.

Walking the Old Road is supported in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.