Summer 2027 - Grand Portage National Monument - Interpretation

Looking to do something different in 2027?

Do you enjoy history, interacting with the public, and doing (or willing to learn one of the following) hands-on activities such as woodworking, cooking/baking, gardening, sewing, and other skills? If you're looking to escape the summer heat, please consider joining our team of talented staff and returning volunteers for an incredibly fun volunteer opportunity along Minnesota's northshore in beautiful Grand Portage, Minnesota.

Grand Portage National Monument's interpretive division is currently recruiting for our 2027 summer season, so if you have your own RV, we're offering slots for enthusiastic volunteers who are team players, enjoy history, and engaging with the public. 

Grand Portage National Monument is located entirely within the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation on the Canadian border and Lake Superior. You will have the opportunity to learn about our fascinating park story and co-management agreement with the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa as you interpret the story of Grand Portage.

You will receive on-the-job training pertaining to the park’s story and interpretive themes, fundamental resources, and values including the relationship between the park and the Grand Portage Band, the Grand Portage Trail Corridor, North West Company Headquarters and Depot, Fort Charlotte, Grand Portage Reservation Village, Museum Collection, and the Portage Experience in addition to numerous hands-on experiences on the historic site. Our comprehensive two-week training session begins Monday, May 10, 2027. Can't make the session? We'll be able to fill you in with all safety-related and park-relevant news whenever you arrive, and you'll be mentored by capable staff to learn at your own pace before ever being assigned to an independent station.

A typical workday will be approximately 8 hours of service time, from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break and unscheduled breaks covered by roving interpreters throughout the day. Volunteers occupying a park-provided RV pad will be expected to work up to 32-hours/week. Park RV pads contain full electric, water/sewer hook-ups, Wi-Fi and access to free laundry facilities.

Primary responsibilities will include staffing interpretive stations (including our Heritage Center Front Desk/Eastern National Sales outlet, Ojibwe Village, Historic Gardens, Great Hall, Kitchen, Canoe Warehouse, Roving Interpretation) and sharing the park story with visitors during our 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. operating hours. We conduct a third-person style of interpretation on the original site of the North West Company's late 18th century fur trade depot, and you will have the option of wearing historic costume if you choose. Our work mostly entails staffing reconstructed buildings and exhibit areas as we provide informal interpretation to our visitors, but volunteers may choose to develop and deliver formal scheduled programs, though this is not a requirement for a volunteer position.

Typical duties include greeting and providing informal interpretation to visitors, discussing the significance of Grand Portage National Monument as it aligns with the park’s interpretive themes; sharing about the Ojibwe people and the North West Company; the 18th century Great Lakes Fur Trade; co-management between the National Park Service and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; additional topics include but are not limited to archeology, trade, exploration, food, lifeways, geology/geography, Lake Superior, transportation, etc.

Based on need, volunteers may be required occasionally to drive the park’s accessibility cart and deliver guided tours to the public through the historic site.

While on duty, volunteers may choose to wear period-appropriate clothing provided from the park's collection of historic reproduction articles or a volunteer polo shirt provided by the park.

The type of operation we run in Grand Portage is certainly not a one-size-fits-all program, so if you’re interested in finding out more about us and to see if the park would be a good fit for your time and talents, I’d love the opportunity to discuss with you further. Please reach out to Stephen Veit at Stephen_Veit@nps.gov or call (218) 475-0123. Thanks for considering us as a potential summer home and I look forward to speaking with you!