Twin Ports 'Medallion hunt' canceled after players damage Ojibwe burial site

A yearly Duluth-area "treasure hunt" in which radio listeners follow clues for a shot at a grand prize has officially been called off, after some players went out of bounds.

On Friday, the Twin Ports Winterfest — which hosts "The Great Medallion Hunt" — announced that the 2021 contest is no more:

The decision was made "because of damage and disrespect being done to public property," the Facebook post says. "All prize awards for the medallion hunt have been put on hold and will not be awarded for any finder of the official Winterfest Medallion."

Jim Paine, mayor of the city of Superior, went into a little more detail on his own Facebook, saying it was due to players violating Wisconsin Point, an Ojibwe burial ground:

"While much of the damage and violation may have been unintentional, it is still unacceptable and must cease immediately," Paine said, describing the grounds as well as the surrounding area "an ecologically and culturally sensitive place."

"I can assure you that the medallion is not buried and shovels are not necessary to find it," the mayor added.

The annual event is promoted by a number of radio stations in the area — including KQDS and KTCO — owned by Midwest Communications, which ultimately made the decision to pull the plug on the contest.

As Duluth News Tribune notes, the hunt involves the announcement of daily "clues," with Friday's clue hinting that the medallion (an example of which can be seen in the photo above) "was on a trail near the Humane Society of Douglas County, which is at the turn motorists take from U.S. Highway 53 to reach Wisconsin Point."

This ultimately led to the incident that prompted Mayor Paine's Facebook post, and the resulting cancellation. 

The extent of the damage to the burial site has not been specified.