Narrative of an Expedition Through the Upper Mississippi River to Itasca Lake is Henry Schoolcraft's personal account of his mission in the Michigan Territory, where he served from 1828 to 1832 as US Indian agent. Schoolcraft shares the results of his mission in this book. He traveled to the upper reaches of the Mississippi to settle continuing troubles between the Ojibwe and Dakota nations. During the voyage, Schoolcraft took the opportunity to explore the region, making the first accurate map of the Lake District around western Lake Superior. He also discovered on his voyage the true headwaters of the Mississippi River in Lake Itasca.