The Witch Tree

Sacred Cedar of Lake Superior

Beneath the vast, ever-watching expanse of Lake Superior’s shimmering waters stands the Witch Tree, a gnarled sentinel of time known to the Ojibwe as Manidoo-giizhikens, the Little Cedar Spirit Tree. This ancient Thuja occidentalis, rooted improbably in the bare rock of Minnesota’s rugged shoreline, has whispered secrets of the ages since at least 1731, when French explorer Sieur de la Verendrye marveled at its maturity. Sacred to the Ojibwe, who honor it with tobacco offerings for safe passage across the lake’s mercurial waves, this twisted, stunted cedar embodies resilience and reverence. Its weathered branches, sculpted by centuries of wind and water, beckon the soulful traveler to witness a living legend—but only in the company of an Ojibwe guide, for its sanctity demands respect. Come, stand in awe of this timeless spirit, and feel the pulse of history in its sacred boughs.