Treasure chest of history just down the road

ken Johnston

What an amazing place.
I am talking about the Manitou Mounds located just south east of Stratton.
A little over a decade ago I went for a walk with Economic Development Officer Dan Wright and someone from Rainy River First Nation. We drove into some gravel pits along Hwy. 11 and eventually ended up on the bank of the Rainy River. We walked through the grass and up onto what appeared to be hills.
Little did I know at the time, I was standing on several millennia of history.
Only a year or two later the citizens of Rainy River First Nation would open this treasure up to the world with the construction of an interpretative centre and a roundhouse.
I visited the newly constructed interpretative centre and to be quite honest was impressed by the design of the building but disappointed at the lack of exhibits in there.
I took the walking trail down to the roundhouse and was very impressed with it.
I had not been back since; that is until last Thursday.
I love history and find museums to be fascinating places. So when I began to take a walk through 8,000 years of history at the centre, I was literally like a kid in the candy store.
The community of Rainy River First Nation deserve a big pat on the back for doing a wonderful job and also a big thank you for sharing it with us.
Who needs the Egyptian Pyramids... we have our own treasure chest of ancient history to explore just down the road.
–Until then, Ken