Guardian of the the Lake (and our garden!)

We love our  Guardian.
Whenever I am working out there I always find myself seeking his approval. Sometimes it is a little hard to decide whether he approves or not (his expression doesn't change a whole lot...) but as our garden has flourished in the seven years we have been here, I choose to believe that he is ok with it all. 
The story goes that he has a long history of being revered and that many of his interesting outgrowths are in fact the result of him growing around the offerings that were tied to his branches by either the Ojibwa, or the Dakota people.
There is also a tale of a battle fought right here on this lakeshore, sadly I haven't been able to track down any information on it~ maybe that should be a winter project! 
I do know that he would have some stories to tell if he chose to share them.
Did you know? 
The name Minnesota is based on the Dakota Sioux word "Mnisota" (the native name for the Minnesota River) which means "cloudy water" or "sky-tinted water."