The great Otter was given the task by the four directions to open the water between Lake Superior and the St. Louis River. The St. Louis River flows on the north side of the Fond du Lac Reservation before flowing into Lake Superior. Because of the ability of the Otters to swim and slide on their backs in rivers, the Otter was given the task to remove the land between the St. Louis River and Lake Superior. The new opening is near Duluth, Minnesota. —Gordon Coons

Gordon Coons is an enrolled member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe of Northern Wisconsin and a descendant of the Ottawa tribe in Michigan. Now living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Gordon is a self taught artist, creating and experimenting with a variety of media including linoleum block prints, paintings, pen and ink drawings, and creations in stone, wood, and assembled sculptures. Although his artwork is more contemporary, each piece portrays a unique view of traditional Native stories or is a record or impression of Indigenous history in North America.