State renews talks to reopen Grand Mound site near Canadian border

The huge, historic Grand Mound in Koochiching County is closed to the public, a fence guarding the American Indian burial ground.

But the Minnesota Historical Society hopes to reopen the site to visitors — reversing its decision in 2007 to close its surrounding trails.

"We would like to see the site publicly accessible again," said Ben Leonard, manager of community outreach and partnerships for the ­Historical Society.

But it's unclear whether the mound's interpretive center also would reopen. That ­center, built in 1975, was shuttered in 2003 during ­budget cuts. Leonard said the Historical Society is discussing "several scenarios" for the Grand Mound — some of which involve reopening the center and others that don't.

"There will be many conversations to follow about what public accessibility at the site looks like," he said.

Koochiching County and International Falls officials protested Grand Mound's closure and have been asking the Historical Society for years to reconsider. But some American Indian leaders had supported the shuttering, pointing to the site's spiritual significance.

For centuries, the Laurel Indians gathered at the confluence of the Big Fork and Rainy rivers, where sturgeon spawned. "Here they set up camps to trade, socialize, feast and conduct ceremonies," according to a 2007 report. "And here they buried their dead."

In the past, opposition to public access was largely based on the incorrect assumption that the center was interpreting the burial site. But the center's focus was broader — on the environment, culture and archaeology, Jones said.

When the center was opened in the 1970s, "it didn't have the involvement of the Indian people," he said. "It wasn't their story.

"Now, the opportunity is to allow Indian people to tell that story."

Erected more than 2,200 years ago, the Grand Mound is the largest intact mound in the Upper Midwest, said Edgar Oerichbauer, executive director of the Koochiching County Historical Society. It's near what's now the Canadian border, part of a series of mounds built along the Rainy River.

"We don't know who these people were," he said. "We know they were here, and the mounds are a testimony to their resilience."

He would like to see the interpretive center reopen, bringing attention to and educating visitors about the area's rich history.

"The fact that it's sacred doesn't mean it shouldn't be protected," Pavleck said. "I think there are ways to respect the site but still be able to observe it and have the interpretation."

The Rainy River First Nations tribe in Ontario runs an interpretive center for a similar mound site on the Canadian side of the border. Chief Jim Leonard said he's heard the argument about keeping such spiritual sites closed to the public. But elders there believe that "in order to protect something, you have to make sure people are aware of it," he said.

Chief Leonard worries about Grand Mound's ­current state, saying that he's heard of people riding four-wheelers over the mound.

The tribe is interested in partnering on the site, he said. "But we would like to see the Minnesota Historical Society take the lead on it, eh?" he said. "We can't take the lead because we're from Canada."

Cost will factor into the Historical Society's decision for the site, Ben Leonard said. But so will safety, site preservation and feedback from several groups.

"This is not going to happen overnight," Ben Leonard said. "It's going to take time and money and a great deal of thought. We're beginning those conversations. But we've got a long way to go in this process."