Lake Minnetonka has a rich Native history, predating European settlement by thousands of years. The region was home to various indigenous peoples, including the Dakota, Anishinaabe, Iowa, and Cheyenne, who used the lake and surrounding areas for hunting, fishing, and spiritual purposes. The lake is a sacred place, and the area was a major thoroughfare for different Dakota and Anishinaabe groups. By the time Euro-Americans reached Minnesota in the early 1800s, the region was predominantly inhabit