The Witch Tree as it is commonly known, also called Manido Giizhigance, or Little Cedar Spirit Tree by the Ojibwa Indian tribe is an ancient Thuja occidentalis growing on the shore of Lake Superior in Cook County, Minnesota. The earliest written records of the tree by Europeans in the Americas are by French explorer Sieur de la Verendrye in 1731, who commented on the tree as a mature tree at that time, making it at least 300 years old today. The tree is held sacred by the Ojibwe, who traditionally leave offerings of tobacco to ensure a safe journey on Lake Superior. Due to its sacred nature and vandalism problems in the past, the tree is considered off limits to visitors unless accompanied by a local Ojibwe band member.

The tree is small for a mature conifer, as it is growing out of bare rock on the shoreline. Its gnarled, stunted, and twisting branches have been the subject of many photographs.

See also

• List of trees of significance worldwide
• Grand Portage National Monument

References

1. Sternberg, Guy; James Wesley Wilson; and Jim Wilson. Native Trees for North American Landscapes: From the Atlantic to the Rockie. Portland, Ore: Timber Press, 2004. [1]

External links

• [684566]Grand Portage
• [684567]Historic places named by 2007 MN statute
• [684568]Minnesota Public Radio feature