The Nokasippi River is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
accessed November 29, 2012 tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
in central
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. In the
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian lan ...
, the river is called ''Nooke-ziibi'' ("Tender River"). The term "tender" generally refers to the Bear
Totem
A totem (from oj, ᑑᑌᒼ, italics=no or ''doodem'') is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage, or tribe, such as in the Anishinaabe clan system.
While ''the wo ...
, but in this case refers to Chief Nokay, who was named after the Bear Totem and lived along the shores of Nokay Lake.
Course
The Nokasippi flows for its entire course in southern
Crow Wing County
Crow Wing County is a County (United States), county in the East Central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 66,123. Its county seat is Brainerd, Minnesota, Brainerd. The coun ...
. It begins at the north end of
Clearwater Lake, about east-northeast of
Brainerd, and flows generally southwestwardly, passing through Eagle, Nokay, South Long and Pond lakes. It joins the Mississippi River from the east just north of the town of
Fort Ripley and across the Mississippi from the
Camp Ripley
Camp Ripley is a military and civilian training facility operated by the Minnesota National Guard near the city of Little Falls in the central part of the state. The location of the camp was selected in 1929 by Ellard A. Walsh, Adjutant General ...
Military Reservation. Just upstream of its mouth, the Nokasippi collects a short tributary, the
Little Nokasippi River
The Little Nokasippi River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed November 29, 2012 tributary of the Nokasippi River in southern Crow Wing County, Minnesota. It joins the N ...
.
[''Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer,'' Delorme, 9th ed., 2016, p. 54 ]
See also
*
List of rivers of Minnesota
Minnesota has 6,564 natural rivers and streams that cumulatively flow for . The Mississippi River begins its journey from its headwaters at Lake Itasca and crosses the Iowa border downstream. It is joined by the Minnesota River at Fort Snellin ...
References
{{authority control
Rivers of Minnesota
Rivers of Crow Wing County, Minnesota
Tributaries of the Mississippi River