50 Years, 50 Legacies: Sam Zimmerman
#27: Sam Zimmerman
Giiwedino-Manidoog / Spirits of the North, which is on display in the Crane Lake Visitor Center
Visitors walking into the new Crane Lake Visitor Center are immediately greeted by a burst of color and life. A three-panel mural, Giiwedino-Manidoog / Spirits of the North, stretches across the wall, filled with bear, wolf, sturgeon, loon, rocky shorelines, and a sweeping starscape. It is a stunning tribute to Voyageurs National Park’s wild beauty and to the Indigenous connection to the land that existed long before the park’s founding and remains strong today.
The artist behind the work is Sam Zimmerman, Zhaawanoogiizhik, a Grand Portage direct descendant and an Anishinaabe painter, author, and educator based in Duluth, MN. In Summer 2022, Zimmerman became Voyageurs Conservancy’s first Community Artist & Educator. During his week-long residency, he painted the mural in real time while engaging visitors at pop-ups throughout the park, hosted a talk for his book Following My Spirit Home, and shared Indigenous star knowledge under the world-renowned dark skies of Voyageurs.
Zimmerman worked through swarms of mosquitos and unpredictable June weather to create the three large panels that brightened the Rainy Lake Visitor Center, and recently, have been relocated to the brand new Crane Lake Visitor Center. Each brushstroke was guided by the themes he carries through all his work: environmental stewardship, cultural continuity, and respect for the animal and spirit relatives that animate the North. The mural includes 16,866 stars, one for every day Voyageurs National Park had been open to the public at the time.
“The story of this piece is to celebrate the beauty of the land, water and sky, the animal spirits of the park, while also serving as a reminder to visitors that the park sits on ancestral Anishinaabe lands,” Zimmerman shared. “Indigenous culture was and continues to be a part of the story of the park.”
Zimmerman believes artistic expression can be a vessel for education and deeper understanding. His work continues through the Anishinaabe tradition of storytelling through public art commissions, bilingual children’s book illustrations for the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, and exhibitions across the nation and abroad. He has been a recipient of Minnesota State Arts Board, Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, and Duluth Superior Community Foundation awards.
His latest illustrated title, How the Birds Got Their Songs, authored by his cousin Travis Zimmerman, brings forward one of their own family stories that has been passed down over generations.
Since 2023, Sam has served on Voyageurs Conservancy’s Board of Directors, contributing hiscreativity and strategic insight to strengthen the organization’s mission to protect and shareVoyageurs National Park for current and future generations.
Learn more about Sam and his studio, Crane Superior Studio, on his Facebook page, linked here.
Check out the full list of our 50 legacies!
This year, we’re celebrating 50 years of Voyageurs National Park by sharing 50 inspiring stories of the people who shaped its legacy. Years, 50 Legacies is a yearlong storytelling series highlighting individuals whose lives are woven into the fabric of the park – whether through conservation work, cultural traditions, recreation, research, or personal connection.
Raise a canteen and celebrate this historic milestone with us at our 50th anniversary website. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more inspiring stories and updates!
