Field Trips: Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post

Learn about the journey of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe— from their settlement in Minnesota 300 years ago to their culture, tradition, and lives today. Stop in at the 1930s trading post to shop for handcrafted Native American goods.

Field trip options

All field trips include a tour of the Four Seasons Room, exhibit scavenger hunt, and interactive lessons on Native American games, sports, music, and dance.

Core experience

Grades K-12, $8 per student:

Cycles of the Seasons
Tour the Four Seasons Room, with life-sized dioramas depicting traditional Ojibwe life and activities. Students learn about making maple sugar, harvesting bark, processing wild rice, and hunting and fishing that sustain Ojibwe people.

Exhibit Scavenger Hunt
Students explore our exhibits to find items from the museum collections on display. Scavenger hunts are age appropriate, from photo finds for younger students to quizzes for high-schoolers.

Native American Games and Sports
Play Native American games of skill and chance including the bowl game, snake game, deer and hunter, lacrosse, and the run and scream game.

Native American Communication
Interactive lesson that teaches students about a variety of communication methods including Native American sign language, as well as simple Ojibwe words and phrases. 

Add on to your core experience

$2 each student per activity:

Native American Music and Dance Grades K-12
Students will examine materials used to make rattles, flutes, and drums to gain a better understanding of the instruments used by different tribes in different regions. Participants will also learn about differing dance styles and what to expect at a powwow.

Native American Dolls and Toys Grades 3-7
Through an examination of toys and primary sources students will see the larger connections between Native American playthings and the cultures they represent.

Native American Sovereignty and Treaty Rights Grades 7-12
Students learn about the treaties that relate to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, then have a guided discussion about Native American sovereignty.

Craft projects

$5 per student:

• Corn Husk Doll Grades K-12
• Shoulder Bag Grades K-12
• Beaded Ring Grades 7-12
• Dream Catcher Grades 9-12