Why is Nimuué Important?

A Peek into Our Glacial Origins

The Significance Behind This Long-Lost Minnesota Woman

The Minnesota Woman/Nimuué’s discovery brings a degree of illumination to an ancient, largely mysterious chapter in the history of this region. Uncovering the nearly complete skeleton of a young woman, perhaps once lying beneath the waters of Glacial Lake Pelican, was an electrifying development for laymen and scientists alike. From 1931 to 1937, nearly three dozen distinguished scientists from 12 universities and other institutions immersed themselves in studying her skeleton and the artifacts found with her, working to determine her identification and age, as well as her geological and archaeological surroundings. Ten of the scientists visited the burial site repeatedly in their quest for additional details. Published research findings drew worldwide archaeological attention to western Minnesota.

Linking the Past to the Present

There has been considerable dispute among scientists and others, during the ensuing decades since Nimuué’s discovery, regarding the origin of her clan and the age of her skeleton. While those controversies have not been fully resolved, her ancient presence in this area, along with the contents of her gravesite, provide a precious link to the area's long-distant past - a past where huge glaciers and melted glacial waters once dominated the landscape. She is a vehicle to help today’s residents and visitors understand more about those pre­historic times and the impact they had in forming the Otter Tail County and western Minnesota that exists today. Nimuué is a bridge to assist us in our understanding of who we were - and who we are.