By BSU Alumni & Foundation
Published 5:10 pm on October 30, 2024
You’ve seen the mound outside Bemidji State University's Tamarack Hall – and maybe even clapped on it – but do you know the story behind it?
Crossing Waters – derived from the Ojibwe word “bemijigamaag,” meaning “lake with crossing waters” and for which Bemidji was named – honors the history of our region.
When you stand on the top of the mound and clap your hands, the way the sound bounces off the surrounding buildings makes your clap sound like a beaver’s tail slapping the water, while everyone on the ground just hears you clapping. The red bricks on the mound make up the constellations that match what we can see on the summer solstice.
The iron branches surrounding the mound contain excerpts from the journal of Joseph Nicollet, a well known European geographer who was set on making a name for himself in the United States by accurately mapping the area surrounding the upper Mississippi River. He learned much about the Dakota and Ojibwe during his explorations and recorded Indigenous place names of locations on his maps of the region.
The benches are shaped like canoes, representing the journey to Bemidji via the Mississippi River.
Explore more campus landmarks like this one by visiting History in the Pines, the digital museum of Bemidji State University. Click the button below to get started.
