Ernest Carl Oberholtzer (February 6, 1884 – June 6, 1977) was an American

explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

, and conservationist. Nicknamed "Ober", he was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa, but he lived most of his adult life in

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 ...

. Oberholtzer attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

and received a bachelor of arts degree, but left after one year of graduate study in landscape architecture. He made his first trip to the Minnesota-Ontario border lakes in 1906. In 1909 he took his first extended canoe voyage through the border lakes and the

Rainy Lake Rainy Lake ( French: '; Ojibwe: ') is a freshwater lake with a surface area of that straddles the border between the United States and Canada. The Rainy River issues from the west side of the lake and is harnessed to make hydroelectricity for ...

watershed, traveling 3,000 miles that summer. During the period from 1908 to 1915, Oberholtzer wrote a number of articles and short stories, some under the

penname A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Ernest Carliowa. Many of the stories and articles were based on his canoe trip experiences. In 1913, Oberholtzer moved to

. He purchased Mallard Island in 1922; the tiny island would be his home for more than 50 years. After plans were announced by business mogul Edward Backus to construct a series of dams to harness the Rainy Lake watershed for power generation, Oberholtzer spoke in opposition at a hearing of the

International Joint Commission The International Joint Commission (french: Commission mixte internationale) is a bi-national organization established by the governments of the United States and Canada under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. Its responsibilities were expa ...

held at

International Falls International Falls (sometimes referred to as I-Falls) is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota. The population was 5,802 at the time of the 2020 census. International Falls is located on the Rainy River directly acro ...

in September 1925. As a result of meetings with

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

businessmen who were similarly opposed to industrialization of the area, the Quetico-Superior Council was formed in 1928. Oberholtzer served as its first president. His activities for the council included lobbying

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

and the Minnesota legislature, testifying before the International Joint Commission and building public support for the council's program. In 1934, President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

created the President's Quetico-Superior Committee to advise and coordinate government activity concerning the Quetico-Superior area. Oberholtzer was its first chairman, and served as a member until 1968. Oberholtzer was one of the eight founding members of The Wilderness Society and served on its executive council from 1937 until 1967. His addition to The Wilderness Society lent national stature to the group. In addition to his wilderness campaigning, he spoke fluent

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

and was a fervent student of their culture. He never married and died in 1977 after a long period of ill health. Oberholtzer is recognized today as a leading advocate for the preservation of the Quetico-Superior lake area, as well as an advocate of the Native American culture in that region. The Minneapolis '' Star Tribune'' selected Oberholtzer as one of the 100 Most Influential Minnesotans of the 20th century.

Exhibition

An exhibit of Oberholtzer's photographs was held at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art. The exhibit included images displaying his relationship with the Ojibwe and their lifestyle. One section of the exhibition detailed in photograph the process of harvesting and preparing wild rice. ''Traditions: Ernest Oberholtzer's Photographs of the Rainy Lake Ojibwa'' ran from May 4 to June 30, 2013.

Notes

References

*Paddock, Joe. 2001. ''Keeper of the Wild: The Life of Ernest Oberholtzer''. Minnesota Historical Society Press. . *Sutter, Paul. 2002. ''Driven Wild: How the Fight against Automobiles Launched the Modern Wilderness Movement''. Seattle: University of Washington press. .

Exhibition

Notes

References

External links