08-02-2025
Izhaadaa Agwajiing features year-round outdoor recreation in Red Lake
Feb. 7—RED LAKE — Students from Red Lake Public School, the Endazhi-Nitaawiging Charter School and TrekNorth donned their ski gear for a fun outing on Wednesday as a conclusion to their Nordic Ski season.
A mile off Minnesota Highway 89, the skiers meandered their way through a tree-lined path as they raced to the finish line — met with cheers and applause by their coaches and visitors.
The first Nordic Ski meet at
Red Lake
in its history, spirits were high and the temperatures were low at a site that was a mere dream some years ago.
The trails, trailhead buildings and surrounding nature compose an area unofficially referred to as Izhaadaa Agwajiing — named after the "Let's Go Outside" program. The program is administered by Ombimindwaa Gidinawemaaganinaadog, or "Uplifting Our Relatives."
"The program is aimed at creating outdoor recreational opportunities for the community, and we offer activities for all seasons," Red Lake Department of Natural Resources' Joshua Jones said. "It's going to be free for the whole community so that families can come out and use it anytime."
The program focuses on bringing outdoor activities to Red Lake where facilities may otherwise be limited. The program has been supported by
the Tiwahe Foundation
— a Native-run organization — as well as grants from the
Northwest Minnesota Foundation,
which aim to expand Izhaadaa Agwajiing.
"This programming is a result of a lot of really great work on behalf of the organization, to really look at how we're engaging with community members," Tiwahe Foundation's Audrianna Goodwin said, "and also recognizing that our people deserve the best. You don't often see these kinds of facilities on the reservation."
Goodwin added that many band members would have to travel 45 minutes to Bemidji or an hour to an hour-and-a-half to Thief River Falls to make use of similar facilities. Bringing these services to Red Lake is a way to support tribal membership in a myriad of ways.
"This space really holds a lot of significance," Goodwin said, "and it's a dream coming true."
Though not officially open to the public, Red Lake members and Wednesday's guests have made use of the area.
Located on either side of an ice rink, two trailhead buildings constructed within the past year provide space for equipment as well as communal areas for relaxation and a much-needed warm-up from frigid temperatures. The trailheads are replicas of those found at the
Movil Maze Recreation Area north of Bemidji.
"That's part of what makes this program a success, the collaborative nature of it," Goodwin added. "People are willing to share their gifts."
Izhaadaa Agwajiing currently boasts 10 miles of ski trails forged by Jones.
"When we have good snow years, that's an incredible amount," Red Lake ski coach Dan Rogers said. "We have a really good drop-off, really good terrain here, glacial moraine features. Just an overall great ski area."
Once the snow thaws, Izhaadaa Agwajiing will retire its skis, sleds, ice skates and three ice houses as the warmer months provide their own set of activities.
By springtime, Jones hopes that Izhaadaa Agwajiing will have a completed amphitheater to host live music and plays among other performances. A goal for summer includes an added zipline and a campground with a learning forest to recognize Ojibwe culture.
"When you go out, you'll be able to scan QR codes on the trail and it'll tell you how to say the tree or plant name in Ojibwe and how it's culturally significant to us," Jones said, noting additional plans for fasting camps, a sweat lodge and sugarbush workshops. "We're going to be building a whole bunch of cultural things all around us."
Aiding its operations are youth part of the foster care system or in juvenile detention, of which more than 30 were employed last summer.
"We teach them as many skills as we can, give them the opportunity to have a good-paying job. They work on our trails, the buildings, all the things we're doing here," Jones said. "They're a part of all of it."
With its namesake credited to the program, an official name for the area will be unveiled on Wednesday, Feb. 12, by a Red Lake elder. Such a development will aim to solidify the place's mission moving into the future.
"When you come into this space, people are happy and they're laughing," Goodwin left off. "It's just a beautiful place to explore all these different sides of who we are, not only as a collective society but as Anishinaabe people."
More information can be found on the
"Izhaadaa Agwajiing" Facebook page.
