Rivers of History

Minnesota Unraveled: Pulling on the Threads of Minnesota History

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Rivers loom large in our past and present – as places for community connection, routes for trading and spaces for recreation. They carry an untold number of stories about the people, the water, and animals that call Minnesota home. But how do we go about learning these stories?

In this episode, historian and host Dr. Chantel Rodríguez dives into the rivers of history to explore how people’s relationships to rivers changed over time and how the river itself has been altered by human activities. To answer these questions, Chantel spoke with historian John Anfinson, environmental archaeologist David Mather, as well as Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe member and indigenous archaeologist Selena Bernier. Each guest shares a unique perspective on river history – from making the Mississippi more navigable in the 19th century, to Native peoples’ use of mollusks, to Native copper carrying communities.