In Focus: Mille Lacs Indian Museum Showcases ‘Women of the Big Lake’ Exhibit

Now on display, the Mille Lacs Indian Museum’s “Women of the Big Lake” exhibit is celebrating and commemorating the lives, achievements, and legacies of four Mille Lacs Band members.

Maude Kegg, Batiste Sam, Margaret Hill, and Cheryl Minnema are the four women whose stories are being told at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum in Onamia. The goal of these women was to pass on their cultural knowledge through their arts, writings, and teachings.

The museum’s goal was to preserve the legacy of these women, and the only wish the museum has is that all of the women could see their legacies live on.

What’s even more special about this exhibit is that it brings back so many memories for people who have lived in this community their whole lives, and it lets them see the legacy being preserved of women that meant so much to them.

No exhibit is “permanent” in the museum world. Site Manager Travis Zimmerman hopes to have the “Women of the Big Lake” exhibit on display for “a couple more years.”