Onegume (ah-ni-gah-mig[k])Campground

The Ojibwe call this place Onigam or Onigamiing which translates as "Portage" according to an Elder from the nearby Cha Chabahning Community of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Onigamiing is pronounced " ah-ni-gah-mig(k), " so it is likely that Onegume is a phonetic spelling of Onigamiing . HISTORY: The Onegume Campground is located on a historic portage route located on a continental divide. Onegume is on the shore of Little Cutfoot Lake which flows through the First River into Lake Winnibigoshish and the Mississippi River ( Gitchi Ziibi ), then south to the Gulf of Mexico. The portage also connects to Bowstring Lake ( ChachaBahning Zaaga'igan ) which flows north to the Rainy River and, ultimately, to Hudson Bay. Prior to the twentieth century and use of automobiles, this portage was part of an extensive transportation network used by Indigenous people and fur traders to travel throughout the continent. Onegume TODAY: Leech Lake Band members regularly camp at Onegume, and the nearby First River outlet is an important gathering place during the Band's fishing opener in the spring.