Island History

Originally called Mooningwanekaaning ("At the Place Abundant with Yellow-shafted Northern flicker"), the island was first inhabited for hundreds of years by the La Pointe Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, an Ojibwa band of the Lake Superior Chippewa.

Madeline Island has been the traditional spiritual center of the Lake Superior Chippewa as a Anishinaabeg story says that Great Spirit Gitche Manitou told the people to travel west to the place where the "food grows upon the water." They traveled until they reached the area of the wild rice (Manoomin) that grew in the marshes in nearby Chequamegon Bay.

Here at Lorien, we firmly believe it is vital to honor these beginnings and recognize the ongoing dedication and importance of Indigenous culture within our communities and within the land that we gather, live, learn and work on.

Therefore, it is important to understand the longstanding history that has brought you to reside on the land, and to seek to understand your place within that history.

To learn more about the history of the Island, visit the Madeline Island Historical Museum located downtown.