1 00:00:00,467 --> 00:00:01,101 Did you know 2 00:00:01,168 --> 00:00:02,169 Lake Mendota in Wisconsin 3 00:00:02,236 --> 00:00:03,804 was an ancient parking lot 4 00:00:03,871 --> 00:00:05,105 for indigenous peoples 5 00:00:05,172 --> 00:00:06,540 passing through the area? 6 00:00:06,607 --> 00:00:07,875 I'm Erica Ayisi 7 00:00:07,941 --> 00:00:08,542 a reporter with 8 00:00:08,609 --> 00:00:10,310 PBS Wisconsin. 9 00:00:10,377 --> 00:00:11,345 Sixteen wooden 10 00:00:11,411 --> 00:00:12,479 canoes were found 11 00:00:12,546 --> 00:00:13,080 at the bottom 12 00:00:13,146 --> 00:00:14,081 of Lake Mendota 13 00:00:14,147 --> 00:00:15,816 dating back at least 14 00:00:15,883 --> 00:00:17,551 4000 years. 15 00:00:18,185 --> 00:00:19,653 I spoke with Tamara Thomsen 16 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:20,954 a marine archeologist 17 00:00:21,021 --> 00:00:21,655 who extracted 18 00:00:21,722 --> 00:00:22,789 two of these canoes 19 00:00:22,856 --> 00:00:24,424 from the bottom of the lake, 20 00:00:24,491 --> 00:00:25,359 and she's working with 21 00:00:25,425 --> 00:00:26,827 Wisconsin's Native nations 22 00:00:26,894 --> 00:00:27,995 to understand the history 23 00:00:28,061 --> 00:00:29,496 behind these canoes 24 00:00:29,563 --> 00:00:30,664 and the importance 25 00:00:30,731 --> 00:00:31,932 of preserving them. 26 00:00:31,999 --> 00:00:32,966 The 14 remaining 27 00:00:33,033 --> 00:00:34,301 canoes will stay here 28 00:00:34,368 --> 00:00:34,902 at the bottom 29 00:00:34,968 --> 00:00:36,036 of Lake Mendota, 30 00:00:36,103 --> 00:00:37,070 and the two extracted 31 00:00:37,137 --> 00:00:38,372 canoes are being studied 32 00:00:38,438 --> 00:00:39,573 and preserved. 33 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:40,574 If you want to know more 34 00:00:40,641 --> 00:00:41,942 about these ancient canoes 35 00:00:42,009 --> 00:00:43,143 and how Indigenous peoples 36 00:00:43,210 --> 00:00:43,877 used them 37 00:00:43,944 --> 00:00:45,579 go to pbswisconsin.org 38 00:00:45,646 --> 00:00:47,981 and click on the news tab.