Published by the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission Winter 2005/2006

A rice year to mull over

(See Grant, page 23)

By Peter David, GLIFWCWildlife Biologist

Odanah, Wis.—Each year afterthe push pole is back in storage and thelast of the seed from our restorationefforts has settled its way into the mucksomewhere, I like to look back and seewhat the past year may have taught meabout manoomin.

This little exercise is not scien-tific—there are no controlled experi-ments or replicated field trials—it isjust an effort to take a moment to slowdown and think about what I witnessedover the growing season, or heard fromothers, and glean some insights into theecology of this remarkable plant. Andgenerally, even after nearly 20 years ofworking with it, there are some newecological aspects that are revealed, orold ones confirmed.

My first and strongest impressionof the 2005 season is that it was justunusual in so many ways. Ceded terri-tory rice beds probably showed morevariability in growth and productionthis year than in any other year I can

recall. Somewhere, we had it all: bedsthat were lost to highwater early in theyear; beds that produced nice stands,but had water levels so low you couldn’tget a canoe in to harvest them; beds thatproduced nice plants, but very littleseed; beds that were plain busts; bedsthat were the best I had ever seen them.

The beds that were flooded out—and most of these were in Minnesota—were lost early in the year to earlysummer storms. Then came the hot anddry spell—remember what July waslike? The “dry” produced the low waterlevels that generally produce our betterrice years, but the heat—coming earlierthan average—was less beneficial. Itstimulated plant growth which mademany beds look good on an acreage anddensity basis, and led many (includingme) to think good things were ahead.

Unfortunately, hot, calm weathercan also interfere with pollination, andthis seemed to happen on many beds inVilas and Oneida Counties, where“ghost rice,” or empty hulls, left ricers’grain sacks strangely light in September.

(Certain diseases, such as “brownspot” can also reduce production, and I

suspect that also occurred this year,especially where the density of the bedswas high—but this is pretty much con-jecture on my part; I don’t have goodinformation on disease prevalence or

its annual variation in ceded territorywaters.)

Where pollination was ok, the dryspell was so intense in places that the(See A rice year, page 8)

By Sue EricksonStaff Writer

Odanah, Wis.—The Great LakesIndian Fish and Wildlife Commission(GLIFWC) recently began a two-yeargrant program aimed at assisting tribal

tional costs have many tribal commer-cial fishermen wondering if it’s goingto be worth setting their nets.

Wholesale market prices paid tofishermen are well below what theywere ten to twelve years ago, accordingto Jim Thannum, GLIFWC natural re-source development specialist, who isoverseeing the grant.

The Freshwater Fish MarketingBoard, a major Canadian-owned fishprocessing plant, has effectively tar-geted the U.S. whitefish markets,undercutting prices and implementinga strategy that takes advantage ofautomated processing and high qualitypackaging. This, coupled with cheapsalmon imports, has signaled the end tothe good ole days when Lake Superiorfishermen could just drop off the day’scatch at the local fish market, be paid agood price for their catch, and go home.“The Great Lakes fish market haschanged from a supply-driven marketto a demand-driven market, where largefood distribution companies now havethe ability to dictate both the price andpackaging requirements of fish pro-ducts,” Thannum says.

An increasing number of fisher-men will be forced to develop innova-tive marketing strategies and value-added products to market at least aportion of their catch directly to theregion’s growing tourist economy,

Thannum contends. Another opportu-nity is to develop a broad-based marketfor Lake Superior fish promoting thehigh levels of beneficial Omega-3 oilsfound in these fish. This is particularlyimportant in tribal communities, whereheart disease and diabetes rates remainhigh and cause increased health carecosts for tribal governments.

Initially the grant will work withGLIFWC’s Lake Superior tribes,including Red Cliff, Bad River, Ke-weenaw Bay, and Bay Mills, to improvemarketing efforts around the lake,according to Thannum. This will includedeveloping brochures and advertisingcapacity regarding the benefits of eatingfresh Lake Superior fish; cooperativepromotion of locally harvested fish witharea businesses, and increasing thecapacity of tribal fishermen to sponsorfund-raising through Lake Superior fishfrys and fish boils during area tourismevents, such as the Bayfield AppleFestival.

The ability for tribal commercialfishermen to process and package thefish in a manner that meets changingconsumer demands will also be im-proved. Many markets now demandthat fish filets be skinned and pin-boned,Thannum notes, so marketing effortsmust be designed to meet those de-mands.

Grant seeks to market Lake Superior f ishGet more fresh fish into tribal communities

commercial fishermen in Lake Supe-rior market their fish and also supplymore fresh fish to tribal members. Thegrant is from the Administration forNative Americans (ANA) and fundsthe program for two years.

Falling prices for freshly caughtLake Superior fish plus rising opera-

Expanding markets for fresh Lake Superior fish and getting more fresh fish intotribal communities are goals of a recent Administration for Native Americansgrant received by GLIFWC. The Red Cliff VFW Ladies Auxiliary was doing justthat at their food stand during Apple Festival weekend in Bayfield, Wis. Thestand featured fried whitefish sandwiches and apple pies. Helping out with theeffort were Jo Brown, VFW Ladies Auxiliary; Cecil Peterson, VFW; Dan Gordon,Commander of the Duwayne Soulier VFW Memorial Post #8239; David Defoe,VFW; and Jean Defoe, VFW Ladies Auxiliary treasurer. (Photo by Sue Erickson)

Cedar ricing sticks rest on a bed of freshly harvested manoomin (wild rice).Harvested each fall by the Ojibwe, manoomin is valued as a healthy, traditionalfood and for its long-standing importance in the Ojibwe culture. (Photo by JeffPeters)

MAZINA’IGAN PAGE 2 WINTER 2005/2006• GOV. DOYLE VISIT •

Governor Doyle promotes“Conserve Wisconsin” agendaRecognizes tribal commitment to resources

Third interim agreement spells outregulations on Apostle IslandsTreaty hunting, trapping and gathering allowed

On the cover

By Chantal NorrgardHONOR Intern

Ashland, Wis.—Wisconsin Gov-ernor Jim Doyle toured northernWisconsin last summer in order toadvance his “Conserve Wisconsin”agenda, stopping at the Ashland-area’sNorthern Great Lakes Visitor’s Centerto present his proposed legislation,which addresses several areas of concernto tribes.

Among key issues in the “ConserveWisconsin” agenda are legislation toprevent the introduction of exoticspecies in the Great Lakes throughregulation of ballast water in ocean-going ships; designation of the TotagaticRiver, originating in Bayfield County,and the St. Croix headwaters in DouglasCounty for State Wild River protection;legislation providing authority to inspectboats aimed at preventing the trans-portation of aquatic exotic species;prevention of polluted run-off from farmlands; and the restoration of the StatePublic Intervener.

Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wild-life Commission (GLIFWC) PolicyAnalyst Jim Zorn had the honor of

introducing Governor Doyle. Zorn rec-ognized Governor Doyle’s ongoingcommitment to work with the tribes forconservation and preservation ofWisconsin’s natural resources and theimportance of collaboration betweentribal communities, the state, and citi-zens of northern Wisconsin.

Quoting Doyle’s 1991 statement,when he, as Attorney General, an-nounced the decision not to appeal theVoigt case, Zorn noted the sentimentexpressed fourteen years ago remainsrelevant today: “Those of us who callWisconsin home do so because we lovethe quality of life here. Our naturalresources make this state special, andthe people here are second to none. Iknow that we still have a lot of workahead of us. But, I am confident that ourchildren will be much better off for thestruggle.”

Zorn emphasized the need forsimilar levels of commitment topreserving the quality of life in northernWisconsin today and to the continuedneed for the “same level of cooperationand joint resolve that we saw in theVoigt case.”

“GLIFWC,” he said, “stands readyto do its part.”

The front cover shows the central image of GLIFWC's 2005annual poster. The artwork by Lac du Flambeau artist NickHockings depicts Ajijaak, or crane, an Ojibwe clan symbol.Posters are available through the Public Information Office at(715) 685-2150 or email pio@glifwc.org.

Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission Policy Analyst Jim Zorn hadthe honor of introducing Governor James Doyle during his tour of NorthernWisconsin this summer promoting his "Conserve Wisconsin" agenda. Zornrecognized Governor Doyle’s ongoing commitment to work with the tribes forconservation and preservation of Wisconsin’s natural resources. Pictured above,from the left, Jim Zorn; WDNR Secretary Scott Hassett, Bob Browne, LakeSuperior Forum; and Governor Jim Doyle. (Photo by Chantal Norrgard)

Odanah, Wis.—The Voigt Inter-tribal Task Force (VITF) endorsed thethird interim agreement negotiated be-tween the Apostle Islands Task Force,composed of VITF representatives, andthe National Park Service (NPS), toregulate 2005-2006 treaty harvests inthe Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

A final Memorandum of Under-standing between the tribes and NPScontaining permanent rules should becompleted in 2006, says Jonathan Gil-bert, GLIFWC wildlife section leader.

Off-reservation, treaty harvest op-portunities are available on the ApostleIslands for tribal members if their tribeenacted the new interim agreement. Theinterim agreement addresses deer, bear,migratory bird and small game hunting,trapping, wild plant gathering, andcamping. Bear season closed on Octo-ber 31, but deer season remains openuntil December 31.

Free camping is available on theislands to treaty tribal members as ofSeptember 6, a provision that is new thisseason. Reservations are necessary, as isa permit, but the fee is waived.

“While the bulk of the harvest regu-lations are very similar to those thatgovern hunting, trapping and gatheringon the mainland, there are a few specialregulations that tribal members should

By Sue EricksonStaff Writer

be aware of,” Gilbert says. Regulationbooklets are available at on-reservationregistration stations or on GLIFWC’swebsite at www.glifwc.org.

Some of the variations from thestandard regulations include, but arenot limited to, no baiting allowed on theislands, no entry to certain islands be-fore a specific date to protect specificspecies. For bear, there are differentlimits for each island.

There are also areas where no hunt-ing is allowed, such as around camp-grounds, docks, and buildings. The regu-lation booklet contains maps of theislands with these areas highlighted.

While the Apostle Islands providemore treaty harvest opportunity, prob-lems surrounding ease of access haveprevented significant tribal harvest inthe last two seasons, since the first in-terim agreement was enacted in 2002.“It’s a challenging place to go hunt,”Gilbert comments. “It’s not easy to getout to the islands, harvest a deer or bearand get them back home from one of theislands.”

The practical issue of access alsoextends to people wanting to gatherfirewood, birch bark, boughs or sea-sonal fruits, all of which have recentlyimproved harvesting guidelines. “If youare going to hunt, trap or gather on theApostles, it’s almost like you have tovalue it as an adventure, rather thanlook at it from a practical point of view,”Gilbert says.

The first off-reservation, treaty hunt in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore(AINL) occurred under an interim agreement in 2002. Above, Red Cliff tribalmembers Mark Duffy and Sean Charette were among those participating in thefirst AINL hunt on Oak Island. (Photo by Sue Erickson)

PAGE 3 MAZINA’IGANWINTER 2005/2006 • HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION •

Minnesota recognizes Mille LacsArea Human Rights Commission

Onamia, Minn.—“To workwithin the Mille Lacs Area communi-ties to promote civil and human rights,eliminate hate, prejudice and discrimi-nation and to create a community thatembraces diversity,” so reads the mis-sion statement of the of the Mille LacsArea Human Rights Commission, char-tered on August 17, 2005.

The formation of the Commissionis the result of several years of work. Tofinally have it recognized as an organi-zation chartered under the League ofMinnesota Human Rights Commission(League) last August was a big triumphfor organizers. “It is the first humanrights commission to be chartered un-

cultural. “There are a lot of myths, fearsand concerns about human rights in ourarea. The focus on race is huge, but wewant to focus on common denominators,issues of concern to all races,” Sam states.

While the Commission is new, Samhas already received positive input froma variety of community members, com-ments like “it’s about time’ and “goodthat somebody is finally doing this…”One of the first big steps is in publiceducation, she says. “A lot of folksdon’t have a clue what their rights areunder the law.”

The Commission has developedan Annual Plan spelling out in month-by-month detail various goals for theyear, which includes considerable stra-tegic planning, outreach into the widercommunity, and public education/train-ing sessions. The plan can be viewed onthe web at www.onamia.com/news/

rightsgroup/05-06_Plan.html. Consid-erable effort will be expended in work-ing with the region’s youth and encour-aging a respect for diversity.

Entities that compose the Com-mission include representatives fromthe cities of Garrison, Isle and Onamiaand the Mille Lacs Band; three schooldistricts, including Isle, Onamia andMille Lacs Band’s Nay Ah ShingSchool; businessses including the MilleLacs Band’s Corporate Commission andthe Mille Lacs Health System; area lawenforcement agencies who serve as ad-visory board members, including IslePolice Department, Onamia Police De-partment, Mille Lacs Band Tribal LawEnforcement Agency, and the MilleLacs County Sheriff’s Department;Mille Lacs Band elders, regional clergy,business representatives and commu-nity members at-large.

der the state with a tribal entity being apart of the commission, and is probablythe first nationally as well,” says MarySam, Mille Lac Band local governmentand community relations coordinator.

In addition to being chartered, thisfall the Commission was also the re-cipient of the Human Rights Awardpresented annually by the League.

Sam has been on the stump pushingfor the formation of the Commissionsince she took her current position withthe Mille Lacs Band about two and ahalf years ago. She is pleased that theCommission encompasses a broadrepresentation from the Mille Lacs Lakeregion and also looks at human rightsissues through a wide-angle lens,incorporating gender, housing, age, race,disabilities, sexual orientation, employ-ment issues—concerns that are cross-

By Sue Lyback-Dahl, Isle Recreation Education CenterExecutive Director and Community Education Coordinator

Oh, such a flurry of response there was recently regarding the establishmentof a Mille Lacs Area Human Rights Commission!

Let’s see if I can shed some light on one of the questions raised by Joe Fellegy,Rep. Sondra Erickson and others.

Why is a human rights commission or movement needed when we have theU.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence?

I believe the answer to this lies in history. If liberty and justice had truly beenassured to all people merely through these documents written well over 200 yearsago, would not women have been able to vote from the get-go?

Would not slavery have been abolished and child labor non-existent from theget-go? Would not people with physical and other disabilities have been treatedwith dignity, compassion and respect instead of being locked up in institutions andforgotten about by the mainstream public? Would not people who happen to behomosexual never have had to sacrifice their identity in order to get or keep a job?Would not older people in the workforce never have faced age discrimination?Would not Native Americans have been able to practice their religion freely priorto the 1970s in a country supposedly founded largely in part for the sake of freedomof religion?

It has been the efforts of people—compassionate people concerned for thewell-being of others—who have addressed these concerns and sought changeslegally, ethically and politically to assure that freedom and justice are indeedupheld for all.

It was the efforts of people within the human rights movement that helped putan end to the Jim Crow laws and other practices previously allowed under theprotections of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. No, the wordsalone of those documents cannot protect human rights. The human rights move-ment is not new. Nor is it just a Minnesota thing.

Human rights are universal, inalienable, indivisible and interdependent. Theyare the rights that belong to every human being. They are not granted by any humanauthority and should not be confused with civil or constitutional rights. Humanrights run deeper than that and are rooted in the wisdom, literature, traditionalvalues and religious teachings of almost all cultures.

In the 20th century, several efforts occurred to identify and codify theseabstract but practical human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rightswas adopted by the United Nations as early as 1948. Several conventions havesince been added, a number of which have been ratified by the United Statesincluding the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted in 1966.

The Mille Lacs Area Human Rights Commission is a regional, communityinitiative to support and promote human rights for all in our Mille Lacs Lake area.It happens to have been born in part from the efforts of a fellow communityorganizer and social worker, Mary Sam, who also happens to be employed by theMille Lacs Band.

I am extremely grateful for her community leadership—but I have to admitI am embarrassed a bit as well. There are a number of folks (including myself) whohave been leaders in this community for years without having taken the ball and runwith this.

It’s something we should have done long ago!Why?Because it is, indeed, the right thing to do.(Reprinted with permission from the author and Mille Lacs Messenger.)

Words aloneare not enough

By Sue EricksonStaff Writer

The Mille Lacs Area Human Rights Commission is committed to supportingthe declared ordinance and standards by way of the following:

✾by advising local governments and businesses supportive of civiland human rights work via education, training and assistance in thedevelopment and adoption of human rights ‘Best Practice’ policies andprocedures, and

✾by developing a local Bias/Hate Crime Response and Prevention Plan, and✾by recognizing individuals for their over-and-above commitment to

Human Rights work in the Mille Lacs area, and✾by promoting civil and human rights through community events,

public information campaigns, workshops, organizational andbusiness efforts and through individual commitment, and

✾by developing a process to assist individuals and organizations inaddressing human rights conflicts, which may include education,mediation, restorative justice approaches, and/or referral to appropriateagencies.

The Commission is dedicated to ensuring that all citizens of the Mille LacsArea have equal opportunity and rights as defined by the Minnesota HumanRights Act, Chapter 363 of the State Statutes. This Act makes it illegal todiscriminate in the areas of:

✾Employment ✾Public Service ✾Business✾Housing ✾Education ✾Aiding and Abetting✾Public Accommodations ✾Credit ✾Reprisal

The Minnesota Human Rights Act makes it illegal to discriminate againsta person because of:

✾Race ✾National Origin ✾Public Assistance✾Color ✾Gender ✾Age✾Creed ✾Marital Status ✾Sexual Orientation✾Religion ✾Disability ✾Familial Status✾Local Human Rights Commission Activity

Mille Lacs AreaHuman Rights Commission

Pictured above, left to right: Velma Korbel, Minnesota Department of HumanRights Commissioner; Ken Hasskamp of Congressman James Oberstar’s office;Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin; Ken Peterson, Deputy Attorney General;and Dan Reiner, CEO of Mille Lacs Health System attended the Mille Lacs AreaHuman Rights Commission Chartering Ceremony on August 17 at the RolfOlson Center.

MAZINA’IGAN PAGE 4 WINTER 2005/2006• WILDLIFE •

Odanah, Wis.—Wild turkeys innorthern Wisconsin are well on theirway to rewriting the books on wildlifebiology. Wildlife managers throughoutmuch of the ceded territory report ex-panding wild turkey populations intoareas previously thought too extremefor the colorful birds.

Wild turkey expansioncontinues in northern WisconsinBy Charlie Otto RasmussenStaff Writer

Odanah, Wis.—Manoomin orwild rice was once a centerpiece of theecology of Lac Vieux Desert (LVD),supporting not only a rich diversity ofwildlife, but the local Ojibwe as wellwith the seed it provided, the rails (“ricebirds”), coots, ducks and geese it at-tracted, and the high population of musk-rats that lived within the beds. Thestands also created nursery areas for thefish populations the lake supported andupon which the Ojibwe depended.

The area was so critical that in1849when the head Chiefs of the Tribe peti-tioned the US government for land forreservations, they wrote: “That ourpeople... desire a donation of twenty-four sections of land, covering the gravesof our fathers, our sugar orchards, andour rice lakes and rivers, at seven differ-ent places now occupied by us as vil-lages, viz: At View Desert, or Old Gar-den, three sections; . . .”

There are few hard figures on theacreage of manoomin which the lakeonce supported, but it is clear it wassubstantial. One document suggestedperhaps 500 acres existed; another statedthat 600-800 bushels of wild rice wereharvested annually, suggesting perhaps400-500 acres.

There are references to rice grow-ing in at least four different locations onthe lake, with the largest concentrationoccurring in the large bay on the north-eastern corner of the lake. This bay was,and still is, known as Rice Bay.

However, had this bay been namedany time in the latter half of the 1900’s,

it likely would have been given a differ-ent moniker. The rice was gone, lost tohigh water levels created by the dam onthe lake outlet. This small dam marksthe birth point of the “Hardest workingriver in the country,” the mighty Wis-consin.

The dam was first built to drivelogs down to the sawmills, and thisinitial use did not greatly impair the ricebeds. The lake level was held high overwinter and was dropped in concert withthe annual spring run-off, to flood logsdown a “river” that in midsummer cannearly be jumped across at these upperreaches. Late spring and summer waterlevels were not altered much, and themanoomin remained.

But the original log dam was re-placed with a concrete structure in 1937,and the purpose and process of waterlevel management changed. The goalnow was to maintain more even year-round river flows for the benefit ofelectricity generation at dams furtherdown that hard working river and toallow paper mills to spill more effluentthan is permissible during periods oflow flow.

These marked changes from thenatural hydrology of the system didaffect the manoomin. The beds fadedquickly, disappearing by roughly 1950.

Both the Indian and non-Indiancommunities near the lake were upset.

Old records in the files of the Wisconsinand Michigan Departments of NaturalResources (DNR) (the lake straddlesthe state line) reflect their concern.

Not only was the rice gone, but sowere the ducks and muskrats. Localtrappers and the resorts that catered toduck hunters lost income. These losseswere not trivial; one local tribal trapperreportedly bought 87 acres of land withthe money made trapping muskrats dur-ing the good years. Many people re-ported the fishery had also declined andbelieved it was related to the loss of therice beds as well.

A 1959 report by the MichiganDNR (then the Department of Con-servation) recommended lowering thesummer operating depth of the lake toaddress these concerns. But theoperating license for the dam, held bythe Wisconsin Valley ImprovementCompany (WVIC)—and which wouldbe in effect for more than 30 years afterthe1959 recommendation—was notchanged.

Eventually however, those 30+years passed, and the license came upfor renewal. A coalition of natural re-source agencies realized that the oppor-tunity to restore some of the ecology ofLVD still existed.

The Forest Service, the MichiganDNR, the Lac Vieux Desert Tribe, theUS Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bu-

reau of Indian Affairs and the GreatLakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commis-sion all jointly proposed lowering themaximum summer operating level for thelake—by less than 10 inches—in an effortto restore some of the historic rice bedsand ecological functioning of the lake.

To make a long story very short,the change was fought hard by WVIC—but eventually restrictions were placedon the new license to reduce the lakelevel to allow a 10 year effort to bringsome rice beds back. The first majorrice seeding was done in the fall of2002, and in 2003, the first fruits of theeffort were seen.

Additional seeding has followedannually since, and this past fall “OldGarden” held more rice than it has inover half a century. The ducks wereback in the beds; the muskrats are re-turning, and Ojibwe harvesters onceagain had a chance to pick manoomin atthe place their ancestors had reservedfor them.

This effort is far from over. Biolo-gist will be monitoring the success ofthe project, which is hoped will create80-100 acres of rice in 7 out of 10 years.Seeding will end, to ensure that the bedsare self-sustaining, another goal of theproject. And there is still oppositionfrom some groups—including somecurrent property owners who prefer tosee the lake higher.

But to those who push-poled acanoe through the beds this fall, flush-ing up ducks and geese and herons asthey gathered a sacred food and medi-cine for their families, the return of themanoomin is an encouraging sign thatperhaps these beds will be valued andpreserved once more.

Manoomin returns to Old GardenBy Peter David, GLIFWCWildlife Biologist

“This area will eventually become a great resort forhunters as well as fishermen. Wild rice grows abundantly inthe lake and it is a great resort for ducks and other waterfowl.”

—Reference to the Lac Vieux Desert area in a1880’s promotional pamphlet for the Milwaukee,

Lake Shore and Western Railway Company

In the Lac du Flambeau regionwhere tribal biologists turned loosearound 30 wild birds in the middle ofthe 2000 winter, residents are routinelyspotting adult turkeys and juvenilesknown as poults.

“This has been the peak year forsightings,” said Larry Wawronowicz,Lac du Flambeau natural resources di-rector. “The birds are widely distrib-uted and we receive reports from virtu-ally every corner of the reservation.”

Northwest of Lac du Flambeaunear Ashland and Brule, wild turkeyscontinue a rapid expansion spurred bythe release of more than 160 birds inMarch 2004. Local hunters and conser-vationists worked with the Departmentof Natural Resources on a program tocapture birds from burgeoning flocks tothe south and move them to six sites inthe far northern corner of the state.

“In both the Bayfield and DouglasCounty projects, the birds have ex-panded throughout the counties muchfaster than anticipated,” said Todd Naas,a Department of Natural Resources bi-ologist who tracks wild turkey activityin the Ashland area.

Naas said some turkey reports,unfortunately, are likely from birdsraised on game farms and illegally re-leased by private individuals. Biolo-gists have long discouraged game farmintroductions because they lack the sur-vival skills and disease resistance thatwild birds possess. Breeding betweenthe two strains could hamper the long-term survival of northern flocks.

While trap-and-transfer projectsdramatically inject wild turkeys intounpopulated areas, biologists have noteda fairly steady northward progressionby southern flocks for several years. Innorthern landscapes once believed un-livable, turkeys have adapted to longerwinters with fewer agricultural cropsavailable to feed on. Northern Wiscon-sin, however, has yet to experience back-to-back punishing winters as it did adecade ago before the arrival of wildturkeys.

“The past two winters were con-sidered relatively mild,” Naas said. “Se-vere winter can cause significant mor-tality in turkey populations. If thepopulation is built up substantially be-fore consecutive severe winters, I thinkthey’ll pull through.”

The spring hunting season fortreaty and state hunters occurs annuallyin April and May. On the Lac du Flam-beau reservation, Wawronowicz saidthe ongoing ban on turkey hunting willcontinue into spring 2006 to allow popu-lations to increase.

Miziseg (turkeys). (Photo credit Maslowski, National Wild Turkey Federation)

The adult male, called a gobbler or tom, can measure up to four feet tall atmaturity and weigh more than 20 pounds. Easterns are the heaviest of the fivesubspecies of turkeys, and the turkeys found in the northern parts of the U.S.can really become large. Some of the corn fed gobblers in the upper midwest(Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri) have body weights over 30 pounds. A maturefemale, called a hen, may be nearly as tall but is usually lighter, weighingbetween eight and twelve pounds.

PAGE 5 MAZINA’IGANWINTER 2005/2006 • WILDLIFE •

How much wood could a woodchuckchuck...whoops...I meanHow many mice must a marten munchif a marten must munch mice?A study of energy needs of American marten in fall & winter

Obtaining food and saving energy play an important role in the natural historyand ecology of the American marten (Waabezheshi or Martes americana).Because of its importance to the long-term viability of the ceded territory martenpopulation, GLIFWC undertook a two-year study of marten energetics.

Marten often live in very cold places where food is often limited and whereenergy conservation is crucial for survival. Energy shortfalls have been speculatedto be the underlying reason for several ecological and behavioral traits exhibitedby martens. For example, marten reduce the amount of time they are active inattempts to reduce energy costs by avoiding cold temperatures. Energy availabilityhas been suggested as the reason for differences in body size between males andfemales, and the underlying cause of territorial behavior between martens.

The occurrence of martens in thermally stressful environments suggeststhat they should be adapted to cold-weather living. However, the long thin bodyshape, short fur and reduced girth, which may aid in hunting in confined spaces,results in a poor ability to save energy. Their relatively short fur has low insulationability, providing little protection from cold temperatures. Martens store little bodyfat and thus have few energy reserves.

Martens use many ways to save energy. For one, they reduce the amountof time active from summer to winter, in order to reduce the energy needed to keepwarm and move. During winter martens seek out underground or under-snowcover, which is generally warmer than outside air temperature and can be warmedby the heat from a resting animal. Additionally, martens have been shown to lowertheir body temperature when at rest, further reducing estimated daily energyexpenditures.

The savings of energy from these adaptations by martens have never beenmeasured. Energy use, and thus food requirements, could increase during winterdue to increased energy needed to keep warm and move through deep snow. On theother hand, the use of insulated rest sites, lowering of body temperature, andreduced activity levels during winter might lower energy use below levelsexperienced during warmer times of the year. Thus, the objective of GLIFWC’sstudy was to measure the energy use of free-ranging martens in two seasons.

By Jonathan Gilbert, Ph.D., GLIFWC Wildlife Section Ldr.

We captured martens in both fall and winter. To measure energy use weinjected each marten with water with extra electrons on the hydrogen and oxygenatoms. We let the marten go for two to five days and recaptured them. We had todraw blood from captured martens (see bottom left photo). By measuring theamount of oxygen which moves from water to carbon dioxide in the blood, we cancalculate how much energy the marten used.

We found that martens use 24% less energy in the winter than in the fall (seegraph). This was a bit surprising, as we had thought that energy use would increasein winter because of the cold temperature and deep snow. However, at the same

time we measured activitylevels in martens (see radiocollared marten). We foundthat in the fall martens areactive nearly half of thetime, yet in the winter mar-tens were active only about20% of the time. It appearsthat martens seek out shel-ter from the cold tempera-tures and only venture outinto the cold when theyneed to eat. At other times,martens tend to sleep orrest.

This is not hiber-nation. Carnivores, meateaters, generally do nothibernate, but rather justtake long naps during coldweather. By converting theamount of energy used by

martens into the amount of food required to provide that energy, we can estimatehow much martens need to eat each day. In order to meet their needs in fall, martensneed to each 200 g. of meat, or about 8 mice or 1 red squirrel (favorite martenfoods). In the winter martens need only 150 g. of meat, or about 6 mice or less than1 red squirrel. Thus, by spending more time at rest during the winter, martens useless energy and need fewer meals to meet their needs.

From this study, we conclude that martens need to avoid cold temperaturesin winter by seeking shelter. Martens find shelter in dead and down trees on theforest floor. This forest structure provides rest sites which are warmer than airtemperature and are protected from deep snow. Also, this forest structure providesshelter for small mammals such as mice and voles which are favorite foods formartens. If land managers are interested in providing habitat for martens, they mustprovide this dead wood and complex forest structure to meet martens’ energeticneeds.

For more information contact Jonathan Gilbert, GLIFWC wildlife sectionleader at (715) 682-6619, ext. 121 or email jgilbert@glifwc.org.

To measure energy use each marten was injected with water with extra electronson the hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The marten was let go for two to five days andthen recaptured. Blood was then drawn from captured martens. The photo showsblood being drawn from an immobilized marten. (Photo by US Forest Service)

Waabezheshi, the American marten, was extirpated from theceded territories in the 1920s, but reintroduced, along with fisher, inthe 1980s and 1990s. However, the species’ ability to persist in thelong-term remains questionable.

The marten is listed as a state and tribal endangered species andis the only mammal on Wisconsin’s endangered list.

For the Ojibwe, the marten is an important clan symbol, repre-senting a warrior clan.

The presence of marten is also a good indicator of a healthyforest.

Fall Winter

Radio collars were placed on martens to measure their activity patterns. It wasfound that in the fall martens are active nearly half of the time, yet in the wintermartens were active only about 20% of the time. Radio collars were small andlight and did not interfere with marten behavior. (Photo by US Forest Service)

Martens use 24% less energy in the winter than inthe fall.

kJ/d

ay

MAZINA’IGAN PAGE 6 WINTER 2005/2006• WILD PLANTS •

Introduced plantsare all around us!By GLIFWC Staff

Odanah, Wis.—Everyone is familiar with daisies, hawkweeds, and othercommon “wildflowers” that adorn (or infest, depending on your point of view) theroadsides, lawns, gardens and fields that we passed by last summer. But mostpeople don’t realize that many of the plants found in these areas are not native toNorth America at all, but are introduced from overseas! Many are so common andwidespread that people just assume that they have always been here.

See if you know which of these common roadside plants are introduced andwhich are native:

Of all the plants shown, only one, black-eyed Susan, is native to NorthAmerica! The rest are all introduced from Europe. These and other weedy,introduced plants have greatly changed the look and character of the landscape,particularly in and around the cities, towns, and farmland where many of us live andwork.

A trickle becomes a torrentMost of the introduced “weeds” that we see everyday arrived in North

America long ago. At first the flow of plants (and animals) from overseas was justa trickle. A few plants, such as shepherd’s purse and sheep sorrel, may have hitcheda ride from northern Europe to coastal Newfoundland with Norse settlers as farback as 1000 years ago. But with the increase in immigration and transport fromEurope in the 1600s and beyond, the rate of introduction greatly accelerated.

Some arrived in soil used as ship ballast, before water pumps came into usein the 1880s. Others hitched a ride in animal bedding, in packing material, ascontaminants in agricultural seed, and even as potential crops. More recently,importation of plants as ornamentals became an important source of introduction.One weedy plant that was apparently intentionally imported is orange hawkweed,which was first recorded in North America as a garden plant in Vermont in1875.

Many of the plants that arrived by accident on our shores failed to establishviable populations, either because environmental factors prevented their establish-ment or because they were simply unlucky. For example, seeds may have fallenwhere they couldn’t grow, or a small colony may have became established but wasthen destroyed before it could spread. Some did gain a foothold, though, and wereeventually carried to new areas by a variety of natural and human vectors, fromwind and water to earth-moving equipment and snowplows. As long-distancetravel became easier and faster, many of these plants were introduced multipletimes in different parts of the country. This process of repeated introduction,establishment and spread of introduced species continues today.

The status of introduced weedsin North America

All of these common roadside weeds are more-or-less adapted to areas withrepeated disturbance such as mowing, grazing, and vehicle traffic. They tend to betolerant of droughty conditions and poor soils, and thrive in full sun. They tend tomature quickly and produce large numbers of small, easily-dispersed, long-lived seeds.

Some of these plants, such as Canada thistle and orange hawkweed, are alsoable to compete in more natural habitats, and have become significant invaders ofwoodlands, wetland edges, and other natural areas. (Canada thistle got its namebecause it first became established in southeastern Canada and then spread southinto more populated areas in the US.) Spotted knapweed and butter-and-eggs aremajor invaders of prairies, barrens, savannas and other open, dry, sandy areas.

Most lawn weeds such as creeping Charlie, quackgrass, and the ever-presentdandelion are also introduced from overseas. In fact, even so-called Kentuckybluegrass is mostly or entirely a European introduction, though some strains maybe native to the northeastern US and adjacent Canada. Altogether, 29% of theapproximately 2640 plant species known to occur in Wisconsin are not nativeto the state, while 33% of the 2729 plants found in Michigan are introduced.

Some common roadside weeds, including Canada thistle, leafy spurge andspotted knapweed are major agricultural weeds as well. About 73% of agriculturalweeds in the US are introduced. Researchers at Cornell University have estimatedthe cost of these introduced weeds to the US economy at more than $23 billion peryear. And this estimate doesn’t even include the cost of controlling these weeds,which add another several billion to the cost. Controlling weeds in lawns andgardens costs an estimated $36 billion per year. In the upper midwest the vastmajority of agricultural weeds are introduced from overseas.

What the future holdsWithout a doubt most of our common introduced weeds are here to stay. And

no doubt many people would miss them if they were to disappear. Some serve auseful role in slowing soil erosion. Others provide food to nectar-feeding insectsand certain other animals. And some are quite attractive as well. But some also havedetrimental effects on the environment. For example, spotted knapweed has beenshown to greatly increase soil erosion on western shortgrass prairie, by releasingchemicals into the soil which inhibit the growth of native soil-binding grasses.

Because the effects of nonnative species are so unpredictable, and potentiallydetrimental to natural habitats and to the economy, it is particularly important thatnew, unwanted introductions are prevented. On the national level, that means lawsto effectively prevent the introduction of additional invasive species. Closer tohome, the spread of introduced plants can be checked by being aware of introducedplants (especially new or still-uncommon ones) and taking simple steps to avoidspreading them. Easy-to-take steps include:

✔Avoid unnecessary disturbance to natural habitats. The spread of invasivesis greatly facilitated by activities such as road-building that disturb the soil andeliminate the native competition.

Common St. John’s wort. Canada thistle.

Ox-eyed daisy. Orange hawkweed.

Common tansy. Black-eyed Susan.

GLIFWC Staff photos (See Preventing the spread, page 7)

PAGE 7 MAZINA’IGANWINTER 2005/2006 • AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES •

Tackling AIS issuesConference seeks coordination, cooperationto get job doneBy Sue Erickson, Staff Writer

Lac du Flambeau, Wis.—A two-day working conference at the Lakeof the Torches Convention Center on October 19-20 tackled the manypressing issues surrounding aquatic invasive species (AIS) in ceded territorywaters, seeking to better coordinate AIS management. Hosted by GLIFWC,the session opened with a prayer spoken in Ojibwe that was offered by Lacdu Flambeau’s Leon Valliere.

Entitled “Aquatic Invasive Species in the Upper Great Lakes: Promot-ing Regional Cooperation and Collaboration,” the event drew about 80participants from Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Representativesfrom federal, tribal, state, and county levels as well as grassroots organiza-tions, such as lake associations, shared information regarding their pro-grams, resources and needs prior to tackling issues in break-out groups.

Specifically, the conference aimed at raising awareness of existingresources, such as educational media, sources of information (what andwhere), and funding opportunities, according to Miles Falck, GLIFWCwildlife biologist and conference planner. “We wanted to get a better idea ofwhat is currently being done and by whom,” he said, “to prevent overlap andalso coordinate our efforts to make research, control and educational effortsas efficient and cost effective as possible.”

Other stated conference goals included identification of unmet needs, promo-tion of consistent educational messages and promotion of standard samplingtechniques. “If everyone uses the same sampling techniques, then we can jointlydevelop a broad data base by sharing sampling results that emerge from similarsampling methods,” Falck says.

During the plenary session, Jay Rendall, Minnesota Department of NaturalResources (MNDNR), emphasized that prevention is the key. Rendall pointed outthat with some species, like zebra mussels, there is no way to manage theirnumbers, so prevention has to be the answer. “Many management techniques arelike mowing the grass, like removing milfoil from the lakes. So, we’re (MNDNR)investing more into exploring biological controls,” he said.

Kristy Maki, Lac Courte Oreilles, added an exclamation point to the preven-tion theme, especially in regard to keeping AIS out of the wild rice beds. “The tribesshare all the same concerns of other agencies and also have some very specificconcerns like wild rice. If we can help lake associations and other agencies off-reservation, we’re helping protect reservation waters,” she said.

Mike Hoff, National and Great Lakes Panel of ANS Task Force, pointed tointroduction of AIS through ballast water as a continuing issue and suggested

looking to other countries for ideas. He alluded to tactics taken in Australia andNew Zealand that address AIS issues in commerce that might offer help in the U.S.as well.

The break-out groups addressed four topics on the second day of theconference: research, monitoring, coordination and cooperation, and educationand reported their group’s suggestions at the end of the day. For each subject area,they considered needs and gaps, requirements, cooperators, obstacles and strate-gies/opportunities. Dara Olson, GLIFWC’s AIS conference coordinator, is cur-rently collating suggestions from the working groups. Olson says the sessions werevery productive, resulting in helpful suggestions to maximize efforts to prevent,identify and control AIS. The key word is definitely “prevention,” she says, andconference participants are anxious to continue efforts towards better communica-tion and cooperation. To this end, she feels the conference was helpful and successful.

For more detailed results from the conference, contact Dara Olson at (715)682-6619, ext. 129, e-mail: dolson@glifwc.org. More information on invasivespecies is available at GLIFWC’s website www.glifwc.org.

The conference was funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and sponsored bythe interagency AIS Steering Committee. Olson and Falck were assisted by LisaDavid in conference planning and implementation.

✔Clean mud and debris from vehicle tires, fenders, etc. before heading out tobackroads. Vehicle mud and debris often carries viable seeds and fragments ofinvasive plants, along with other introduced organisms such as plant diseases andearthworms. And it doesn’t hurt to knock the mud off your boots before wearingthem hiking, hunting, etc. in a new area.

✔Plan ahead for next spring’s planting. Avoid planting “wildflower” mixesthat contain such nonnative weeds as bachelor’s buttons, dame’s rocket, andbaby’s breath. Many beautiful wildflowers (roadside and otherwise) are native tothe midwest. Planting these instead of non-native plants avoids the risk of non-natives escaping to become troublesome weeds. Native wildflowers that areavailable commercially or that you can gather seeds from locally and grow yourselfinclude Joe-Pye weed, harebell, bunchberry, and several species of asters. (see photos)

(Continued from page 6)

Joe-Pye weed. Bunchberry. Harebell. Lindley’s aster.

If you would like more information on growing native plants, and on sourcesfor these plants, please contact Karen Danielsen, at GLIFWC (715) 682-6619.

For more informationDetailed information and photos for various invasive plants (roadside and

otherwise) appears on GLIFWC’s website, at www.glifwc.org/invasives.The Wisconsin DNR’s “Invasive Plants of the Future” project targets up-and-

coming invasive plants that are either uncommon in the state, or that are likely toshow up here in the near future, see www.dnr.state.wi.us/invasives/futureplants/index.htm and links.

General information on invasive plant control can be found in the NatureConservancy Weed Control Methods Handbook at http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/handbook.html.

Preventing the spread of AIS

Minnesota DNR AIS coordinator Jay Rendall gestures to a map showing the distributionof Asian Carp in the United States. Rendall was among a handful of AIS experts andvolunteers to speak at the conference October 19. (Photo by Charlie Otto Rasmussen)

MAZINA’IGAN PAGE 8 WINTER 2005/2006• ZEBRA MUSSELS •

Mille Lacs, Minn.—As of Octo-ber, four separate zebra mussels havebeen found by Minnesota Departmentof Natural Resources (MN DNR) diversin Mille Lacs Lake. While the numbersdon’t sound alarming, their simple pres-ence is, considering their proven abil-ity to procreate in large numbers. Thegood news is, those found were foundas single individuals, not part of acolony.

An August dive found the first twolocated in the northwest corner of thelake, but existing singly, four to fivemiles apart.

Later dives yielded two more ofthe creatures near Agate Reef in thenortheastern area of the lake, those alsoexisting singly about 30 to 40 feet apart,according to Gary Montz, MNDNRzebra mussel coordinator. Montz saysit’s somewhat strange to find singlemussels here and there and no clusters,as zebra mussels tend to colonize. Thiscould indicate that each mussel appearedas a result of a separate introduction tothe lake.

The number jumps from twoto four zebra mussels foundin Mille Lacs Lake

According to Tom Jones, MNDNRlarge lake specialist, divers have exploredabout 38 sites on the lake this year.While the dives were part of a pilot studyof Chinese mystery snail distribution inthe lake, the discovery of zebra musselswas definitely noteworthy.

In addition, the presence of bandedmystery snails was recorded. Both thebanded mystery snail and the Chinesemystery snail have pretty widespreaddistribution, he says.

Next summer another schedule ofdives will aim at site designations ofmystery snails in order to develop aquantitative report on their distributionin Mille Lacs Lake. This report can becompared to findings in future dives inorder to note changes in distribution,say over a ten-year period.

In addition to the dives, watersamples have been taken from the mouthof the Rum River, testing for larvalstage zebra mussels, according toMontz. Those samples came up nega-tive, he says, but results from furthersamples are still forthcoming.

MNDNR staff in the Brainerd areaare also talking with resort owners thisfall as docks are pulled for the season inorder to check for possible attached

zebra mussels. The water patrol is simi-larly checking boats as they are hauledout of the water prior to winter.

The MNDNR plans to resumedives next summer to continue theirsearch for further evidence of the tinycritters that potentially can cause bigtrouble. They also plan to checkout someof the smaller lakes near Mille Lacs Lakefor evidence of invasive species.

Dangers posed by the zebra musselsZebra mussels are native to Asia, the Caspian Sea region. The tiny,

fingernail-sized mussels, seem to thrive in a variety of climates and havealready adapted themselves well in areas of the Great Lakes and the Missis-sippi River and are spreading to inland lakes.

They reproduce prolifically, capable of producing one million eggs ayear. The microscopic larvae float freely in the water for three to four weekswhen they start to form a shell and attach to firm surfaces, such as rock, wood,metals, fiberglass and even native mussel shells. In some places they havetaken over the native mussel populations, and their colonies can clog drainsand water systems, causing serious problems for power plants, water treatmentfacilities and irrigation systems. Widespread colonies on beaches make itimpossible to walk barefoot in the water without getting cut by their sharpshells.

The mussels feed on plankton in the water, filtering about a quart of watereach day, discharging unused substances onto the lake or river bottom. Thisprocess may be helpful to bottom feeders, but may reduce the planktonavailable to other species, such as popular game fish, existing higher in thewater habitat.

While some native species of waterfowl and fish feed on zebra mussels,the predation is not sufficient to keep their numbers in check.

Brainerd, Minn.—The alertnessof a boy on Rice Lake in Brainerd hasled Minnesota Department of NaturalResources (MNDNR) biologists to thelatest unwelcome discovery of zebramussels.

While cleaning a bait bucket sus-pended from the family dock, GilMillette noticed a small zebra musselattached to the outside of the bucket.His father brought the mussel into theBrainerd MNDNR office. A subsequentsearch found more zebra mussels nearthe Millette’s property on Rice Lake, animpoundment of the Mississippi River.

“This discovery is extremely seri-ous for the river,” said Gary Montz,zebra mussel coordinator for theMNDNR. “The presence of this inva-sive poses a major risk to the riverdownstream. It is likely that zebra mus-sels have become established in otherareas of the river or adjacent backwa-ters that we haven’t discovered yet.”

Zebra mussels can have seriousimpacts to aquatic ecosystems, recre-ational activities and businesses. In otherrivers where zebra mussels have be-come abundant, they have killed manynative mussels. This invasive also hasthe potential to impact fish populations.Recreationists in some zebra mussel

infested waters report cuts and scrapesfrom the sharp shells. This invasivecould also increase costs to businessesand utilities that use Mississippi Riverwater. Those water users may be forcedto implement new preventative actionsto keep zebra mussels from blockingpipes and reducing water flow.

This most recent discovery of ze-bra mussels occurred during the state-proclaimed Invasive Species Aware-ness Month, a time to further remindcitizens of the threats posed to the state’slakes, rivers and lands from non-nativespecies such as Asian carp, Eurasianwatermilfoil and buckthorn.

“This discovery yet again speaksto the importance of stopping aquatichitchhikers by cleaning boats and nottransporting water from infested wa-ters,” Montz said.

The MNDNR will expand publiceducation and awareness efforts in theBrainerd Lakes area aimed at educatingboaters and recreationists on ways toprevent the spread. Previously, zebramussels were discovered in Lake Ossa-winnamakee north of Brainerd, fromwhich waters flow into the Pine Riverand ultimately the Mississippi River.

(Reprinted from the MinnesotaDepartment of Natural Resources.)

Zebra mussel discoveryin Rice Lake in Brainerd,Minnesota raises alarmsfor Mississippi River

So far, Mille Lacs Lake has be-come home to four invasive species:Eurasian watermilfoil, Chinese andbanded mystery snails, and now zebramussels.

As always, the reminders to cleanyour boat and gear after leaving the lakeshould be heeded because invasive spe-cies found in Mille Lacs Lake could betransferred to other bodies of water.

Zebra mussel. (Photo by Doug Jensen, Minnesota Sea Grant)

rice was left growing nearly on mud flats; on some of these sites late rains addedjust enough water to allow some good picking; on others the rains knocked downa good share of the seed that had been produced. Fine for ducks and duck hunters,not so fine for ricers.

That early summer heat also messed with some pickers’ heads. In July it washard to believe that the crop wasn’t going to be early, but August, when the seedsare developing, turned quite cool, and overall the crop turned out to be probably abit later than average. Folks who ventured out early generally found little to pick.

Finally, and fortunately, in a few places everything came together, and somepretty extraordinary picking was had by those who found those beds when the grainwas ready to drop.

It will be some time before the harvest data comes in, but I am expecting thetotal to be quite a ways behind the last couple of years, which were above average.I also suspect that we will see a relatively high proportion of the take coming frombeds that have been seeded over the last decade and a half. Some of these sites,including flowages at Crex Meadows in Burnett County, Chippewa Lake inBayfield County, and Lac Vieux Desert (see Manoomin returns to Old Garden,page four), produced good harvests, while some of the longtime mainstays, likeClam Lake in Burnett and Totogatic Lake in Bayfield, were well below average.A year like 2005 reminds us that the more rice beds we have on the landscape, thegreater likelihood that tribal harvesting needs can be met—even in a year wheneverything that can occur, does.

By Sue EricksonStaff Writer

A rice year to mull over(Continued from page 1)

PAGE 9 MAZINA’IGANWINTER 2005/2006 • GATHERING •

Odanah, Wis.—Waning summerbreezes send an unmistakable reminderthat firewood needs to be gathered andstacked before the onset of winter snows.With rising fuel costs, more people planto use firewood as their principle heat-ing source.

Dan North, a Bad River tribal mem-ber and GLIFWC wildlife technician,has been using firewood as his onlyheating source for years. With his teen-age sons, Troy and Justin, he spends atleast a few hours each weekend through-out the autumn months sawing, haul-ing, splitting, and stacking wood.

On one particularly sunny and briskOctober Saturday, Dan and Justin drovetheir truck down a rez road to a hard-wood stand, flamboyant with its glow-ing yellows, oranges and reds. Onceparked, Dan wedged in some earplugs,grabbed his chainsaw and strode intothe woods amid gracefully fallingleaves.

Minutes later, the chainsaw beganto whine and soon a dead oak lay on theforest floor. Dan sawed the tree intosmaller, more transportable logs. Mean-while, as quickly as Dan sawed, Justinhauled the logs to the truck.

They worked in silent efficiency.With ten years of experience helpinghis dad, Justin no longer needs instruc-tion; he clearly knows the routine. Inless than an hour, the truck brimmedwith logs, oak mostly and some maple.

Once home, Dan employed a maulto split the wood manually. He couldrent a hydraulic splitter, but chooses notto spend the money. Besides, he hasbecome so proficient at using the maul,splitting wood takes little time, rela-tively speaking; and he gets plenty ofexercise.

Estimating that he burns, on aver-age, about a half of a cord each week, hefigures he burns at least eight cords overthe winter. Of course, it all depends onhow many days temperatures fall totwenty below zero or stay at a balmythirty above. In any case, he needs lotsof wood to keep his house warm.

By Karen DanielsenGLIFWC Forest Ecologist

Though preferring to gather on-rez because of the proximity to hishome, he sometimes gathers from theChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.He says, “If it weren’t for the distance,I’d do more gathering from the forest.Some of those logged hardwood siteshave loads of downed wood that’s easyto gather.”

Dan laughs when people talk ofthe romance of burning wood. He says,“I just don’t see the romance. Every-thing about burning wood is work, fromgathering it to continually stoking thestove. I wake up in the middle of the

Open seasons for off-reservation trapping exist in both Wisconsin and Minnesotafrom October 1 through March 31 for most trapped species. In Wisconsin, otterand fisher may be trapped only from November 1 through March 31. Above, BadRiver’s Matt O’Claire with a nice collection of otter, fox, raccoon, beaver, fisher,bobcat, and coyote from the 2004-2005 season. O’Claire is coordinating off-reservation trapping skills events for kids ages 8-18 this winter. Parents areencouraged to attend with younger children. For more information contactO’Claire at (715) 682-9264 or 682-7123. (Photo by Charlie Otto Rasmussen)

Spend human energy,save on fuel energyWood burning, savings at a price

Emerald ash borerfound in Michigan’sUpper Peninsula

Brimley, Mich.—A statespokesperson recently confirmed thedetection of the emerald ash borer atBrimley State Park in Michigan’sUpper Peninsula. Officials believeinfested firewood brought to thepark’s campground from lowerMichigan likely caused the releaseof this aggressive beetle, which hasalready killed millions of ash trees.

This insect, accidentally im-ported from Asia, was first identi-fied in the Detroit area in 2001.

Officials had hoped to control the insect by adopting strict regulations prohibitingthe transport of ash trees and wood products out of the quarantine areas. In addition,the state initiated a hard-hitting public relations campaign to warn against thetransport of firewood.

Now that the emerald ash borer has crossed the Mackinac Bridge into UpperPeninsula, it may just be a matter of time before the infestation reaches Wisconsinand Minnesota. Nonetheless, the Michigan Department of Agriculture hopes tostop this insect’s progression by removing all ash trees within a half-mile of thestate park.

With lands nearby to the state park, the Bay Mills Indian Community has aclear stake in the outcome of this new infestation. In particular, the beetle nowthreatens black ash stands on the reservation that maintain significant importanceto the tribe.

As such, Bay Mills Indian Community staff have chosen to participate in anash seed collection project coordinated by the Natural Resources ConservationService. Collected ash seed will be sent to the National Center for Genetic ResourcePreservation in Fort Collins, Colorado for long-term storage. Ultimately, theseseed collections can provide future opportunities to replant ash stands that may beentirely lost to the emerald ash borer.

In the meantime, curtailing the movement of this insect continues to take toppriority. Hopefully, the cutting of ash trees and an effective ban on firewoodtransport will essentially eliminate the emerald ash borer from Michigan’s UpperPeninsula, or at least restrict its presence to Brimley State Park.

By Karen Danielsen, GLIFWC Forest Ecologist

Adult emerald ash borer. (Photo by DavidCappaert)

night, every night, to add more wood.I’m used to the whole deal, so it doesn’treally bother me. It might be tougher forsomeone new to it all.”

Nevertheless, some tribal membersmay have a greater interest in gatheringfirewood this year. Tribal membersinterested in gathering on national forestlands need to obtain, from their tribaloffices, an Off-Reservation NaturalResources Harvesting Permit, havingchecked off the box for National ForestGathering. For help locating goodfirewood gathering areas, contact yourlocal US Forest Service District Office.

Dan North and his son, Justin, gathered firewood on the Bad River Reservationthis fall. The Norths use firewood as their only heating source. (Photo by KarenDanielsen)

Treaty trapping, a traditionalskill, offers opportunitiesfor young & old

MAZINA’IGAN PAGE 10 WINTER 2005/2006• CULTURAL •

Annual ceremonies were held at the site of the Mikwendaagoziwag (We rememberthem.) Memorial at Sandy Lake, Minnesota on July 27th. The ceremony andfeast were preceded by a paddle across Sandy Lake, another event which hasbecome a hallmark of GLIFWC’s annual pilgrimage to the site. The memorialis a tribute to the Ojibwe ancestors who died at Sandy Lake or en route home inthe fall and winter of 1850. The Ojibwe had traveled to Sandy Lake in order tocollect their annuities in late October, falling prey to a scheme intended to lurethem to stay in the Minnesota territory. The memorial is located at the SandyLake Recreation area on Highway 65 north of McGregor, Minnesota. Picturedabove are: the late Jim Schlender, former GLIFWC executive director; GeraldDePerry, GLIFWC deputy administrator and Tobasonakwut (Peter) Kinew,Ojibways of Onigaming. (Photo by Charlie Otto Rasmussen)

Lac Courte Oreilles, Wis.—LacCourte Oreilles (LCO) elder Eugene A.Begay Sr. died September 8 at his homenear Hayward. A spiritual and commu-nity leader, Begay was a good friend toGLIFWC and participated in manyOjibwe cultural events throughout theregion. He was 72.

Begay, known as Nee-gaw-nee-gah-bow in the Ojibwe language, pre-sided over a number of ceremonies atGLIFWC’s Odanah office and is re-membered for offering prayers at the1995 elk reintroduction event near ClamLake. In 2000 he presented a seven-foot wooden staff called Mitigonahbay to GLIFWC during the AabanaabamConference at LCO. The staff originated from South America and is used inassociation with other spiritual items during important meetings and other events.

“The presence of that spirit will be in there all the time, taking care of theorganization and people that work here,” Begay said in 2000.

In recent years, Begay contributed articles to Mazina’igan and participatedin GLIFWC’s language project, providing Ojibwe names for certain birds, mam-mals, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

Begay was born in Hayward in 1933, living and working throughout theeastern United States including three years’ service in the Illinois National Guard.Tribal funeral rites were conducted on September 11 at Pineview Funeral Home onthe LCO reservation with Tom Stillday and Anna Gibbs officiating. Followingmilitary honors by LCO veterans, Begay was interned at Chief Lake Indian BurialsGrounds. He is survived by his wife, Bernice, and eight children.

Begay walks onat LCOBy Charlie Otto Rasmussen, Staff Writer

St. Joseph, Minn.—Mille LacsBand Elder Betty Kegg, her daughterand son-in-law Mary and Dave Sam,and their son Ben Sam have made pre-serving Ojibwe traditions into a familyaffair.

In July, the four of them traveled tothe Art and Heritage Place/Haehn Mu-seum at Saint Benedict’s Monastery inSt. Joseph, Minnesota, where they gavea presentation on making grass dolls toapproximately 50 people.

Betty and Ben gave the demon-stration, with assistance from Mary andDave. They brought a display board—made by Ben when he was eight yearsold—to help people understand the pro-cesses of collecting basswood andbirchbark, preparing basswood for bothbirchbark crafts and grass dolls, andthen making the grass dolls.

“Everyone was so excited aboutthe Saturday demonstration,” SisterRuth from Saint Benedict’s Monastery

wrote in a thank you note to the family.“I believe because all of you played apart in answering the visitors’ ques-tions, it made it a ‘smash hit’!”

The family’s demonstration waspart of an exhibit named “The LivingCulture of the Anishinaabeg,” whichremains at the Art and Heritage Place/Haehn Museum through December 23,2005. The exhibit is free and open to thepublic.

Ben is in the sixth grade at OnamiaElementary School, Mary is the MilleLacs Band’s Local Government andCommunity Relations Coordinator, andDave is the Facility Manager at MilleLacs Wastewater Management, Inc.Betty is a retired historian who workedfor the Mille Lacs Band, and is an artistwhose artwork is known across thecountry.

(Reprinted with permission fromOjibwe Inaajimowin, The Newspaperof the Mille Lacs Band.)

Preserving traditionsis a family affair

Mille Lacs Band Elder Betty Kegg and her grandson Ben Sam, age 11,demonstrated how to make grass dolls to an audience of about 50 people at theArt and Heritage Place/Haehn Museum at Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St.Joseph, Minnesota. Their demonstration was part of a year-long exhibit ofAnishinaabeg culture at the museum. (Photo courtesy of Mary Sam)

Eugene Begay.

Milwaukee, Wis.—Donna Falcon, an enrolled member of the Red Cliff Bandof Chippewa, recently assumed the position of Tribal Relations Program Managerwith Region 9 of the US Forest Service (USFS). Falcon is stationed in Milwaukee,Wisconsin and addressed the Voigt Intertribal Task Force during its Septembermeeting at Lac Vieux Desert.

Essentially, Falcon will be a liaison between the tribes, the regional forestsupervisor and USFS officials in Washington, D.C. She will be working with tribesthroughout the large Region 9 which stretches from Minnesota through NewEngland to the Atlantic coast. Although the region is extensive, Falcon says thebulk of the issues come from the Great Lakes area. She is anxious to hear concernsfrom regional tribes and gain tribal input as to what needs to be implemented.

Falcon is not new to the federal bureaucracy. Her twenty-six year career hasincluded work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and previous positions withthe USFS. In the 1980’s, she began her career at the BIA’s Great Lakes Agency inAshland at the time when the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission wasforming. Falcon can be contacted at (414) 297-3777 or by e-maildonnafalcon@fs.fed.us.

Red Cliff member newForest Service tribal liaison

Introducing your children to the Ojibwe language? Delightful children’s bookswritten in Ojibwemowin are a great resource for the very young. Producedthrough a grant, the books are available through the Bay Mills Indian Communityin Michigan. Kwezenhs Bimose—$10.00; Sshtaa taa haa!—$10.00 and N’zidanSa Gwetigo Zidan Wii Aawonoon—$15.00. These books are available throughthe Bay Mills History and Archive Department at 906-248-3241, exts. 4148 and4149. (Photo by Sue Erickson)

PAGE 11 MAZINA’IGANWINTER 2005/2006 • GIDAKIIMINAAN •O

’o a

ki m

azin

a’ig

an (

Thi

s m

ap)

was

dev

elop

ed w

ith a

ssis

tanc

efr

om e

lder

s an

d sp

eake

rs f

rom

Lac

du

Flam

beau

, M

ille

Lac

s, L

ake

Len

a, S

t. C

roix

, Fo

nd d

u L

ac,

Lac

Cou

rte

Ore

illes

, an

d B

ad R

iver

com

mun

ities

and

fund

ed b

y a

gran

t fro

m th

e A

dmin

istr

atio

n fo

r Nat

ive

Am

eric

ans

(AN

A),

AC

F-H

HS.

The

fin

al a

ki m

azin

a’ig

an o

f th

e 18

37, 1

842,

and

wes

tern

183

6T

reat

y ce

ded

terr

itori

es w

ill b

e co

mpl

eted

in

2007

. If

any

one

has

addi

tiona

l inf

orm

atio

n re

gard

ing

the

Ani

shin

aabe

nam

e of

any

loca

-tio

ns w

ithin

the

trea

ty c

eded

terr

itori

es, p

leas

e co

ntac

t Pat

rick

May

otte

at 7

15-6

82-6

619.

Loo

k fo

rwar

d to

seei

ng m

ore

from

the

AN

A g

rant

in th

e up

com

ing

Maz

ina’

igan

s. O

jibw

e na

mes

for a

ll fo

rms

of w

ildlif

e—bi

rds,

pla

nts,

anim

als,

fis

h, a

mph

ibia

ns—

are

also

bei

ng ta

bula

ted

and

will

be

pub-

lishe

d in

fut

ure

issu

es.

Min

nes

ota

—18

37 T

reat

y C

eded

Terr

ito

ryL

akes

Adi

kam

egos

ii za

aga’

igan

—“W

hite

fish

lake

”—W

hite

fish

Lak

eIs

hkw

aaga

maa

g—“A

t the

last

lake

(ri

cing

lake

)”—

Ona

mia

Lak

eB

akeg

amaa

—“L

ake

that

is c

onne

cted

off

to th

e si

de”—

Poke

gam

a L

ake

Bem

ijiga

maa

—“L

ake

flow

ing

tow

ards

me”

—C

ross

Lak

eG

aa-m

ashk

iigw

aatig

okok

aag—

“Pla

ce o

f m

any

tam

arac

ks”—

Tam

arac

k L

ake

Gib

aakw

a’ig

an—

“the

dam

”— H

ay C

reek

Flo

wag

eM

isiz

aaga

’iga

n— “

Lak

e sp

read

out

all

over

”— M

ille

Lac

s L

ake

Mis

hiw

ajiw

zaa

ga’i

gan—

“Big

mou

ntai

ns la

ke”—

Bor

den

Lak

eM

ooko

maa

ni z

aaga

’iga

n—“K

nife

lake

”—K

nife

Lak

eN

itaam

agam

aag/

Oge

zhaa

zaa

ga’i

gan—

“The

fir

st (

rici

ng)

lake

/T

apew

orm

Lak

e—O

gech

ie L

ake

Nis

away

man

oom

inik

anin

g—L

ake

in b

etw

een

(the

ric

ing

lake

s)—

Shak

opee

Lak

eZ

hing

waa

ko z

aaga

’iga

n—“W

hite

pin

e la

ke”—

Big

Pin

e L

ake

Zhi

ngw

aako

zaa

ga’i

gans

—“L

ittle

lake

of

whi

te p

ine”

—L

ittle

Pin

e L

ake

Riv

ers

Ado

onow

inin

g zi

ibiin

g “P

lace

of

som

ethi

ng b

eing

put

dow

n (c

anoe

)at

the

rive

r—H

ay C

reek

Aki

ko z

iibi—

“Ket

tle r

iver

”—K

ettle

Riv

erA

kiw

aaga

ni z

iibi—

“Riv

er w

here

the

land

ben

ds”—

Gro

undh

ouse

Riv

erA

naak

anas

hk z

iibi—

“Bul

lrus

h ri

ver”

—R

ush

Cre

ekA

nina

anda

go z

iibi—

“Rea

lly s

eeki

ng s

omet

hing

alo

ng th

e w

ayR

iver

”—L

ower

Tam

arac

k R

iver

Asi

ni z

iibiin

s—“R

ock

cree

k”—

Roc

k C

reek

Bak

egam

aa z

iibiin

s—“C

reek

that

is c

onne

cted

off

to th

e si

de”—

Poke

gam

a C

reek

Bik

waa

bika

a zi

ibi—

“Roc

kpile

riv

er”—

Litt

le R

ock

Cre

ekG

ineb

igo

ziib

i—“S

nake

riv

er”—

Snak

e R

iver

Mak

odas

oona

agon

in z

iibi—

“Bea

r tr

ap r

iver

”—B

ear

Cre

ekM

isiz

aaga

’iga

n zi

ibi—

“Lak

e sp

read

out

all

over

riv

er”—

Rum

Riv

erM

isi z

iibi—

“Riv

er s

prea

d ou

t all

over

”—M

issi

ssip

pi R

iver

Naa

gani

kaba

a zi

ibi—

“Up

fron

t riv

er”—

Ann

Riv

erN

amew

agon

g zi

ibi—

“Riv

er w

here

all

thos

e st

urge

on a

re”—

St. C

roix

Riv

erZ

hing

waa

ko z

iibi—

“Whi

te p

ine

rive

r”—

Pine

Riv

erZ

hing

waa

ko z

iibiin

s—“L

ittle

whi

te p

ine

rive

r”—

Litt

le P

ine

Riv

er(S

ee G

idak

iimin

aan,

pag

e 23

)

• IN MEMORY OF JIM SCHLENDER •

Zaagajiiwe/Jim Schlender OjLeaves a legacy in treaty rights batReflections by Sue Erickson, Staff Writer

Odanah, Wis.—“Zaagajiiwe indizhinikaaz. Bizhew nindoodem. Odaawaa-zaaga’iganiing nindoonjigbaa.” I can still hear Zaagajiiwe (man cresting the hill)introducing himself during a talking ciricle or before a presentation. He would theninterpret—Zaagajiiwe is his Ojibwe name. His clan is Lynx Clan, and he comes fromthe Lac Courte Oreilles reservation. And finally he would say his English name isJames Schlender. This was GLIFWC’s Executuive Administrator James H. Schlender,a man who, indeed, crested many hills in his life’s journey, while carrying the stafffor tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, human respect, and healing.

I, along with all GLIFWC s employees, was stunned upon arriving at the officeon August 31st to hear the news of Jim’s sudden passing just the day before due tounexpected medical complications following surgery in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

We knew we had lost a leader of nearly twenty years, a driving force—one whohad molded the Commission since its inception and one who had held the reins since1986, when he first took the position as GLIFWC’s executive administrator.Personally, I had worked with Jim for over twenty years. He had been a boss and afriend, working closely with the Public Information Office on many projects,especially the Mazina’igan, our posters and several books.

His involvement on the battlefield of treaty rights and Indian issues did not starthere at the Commission. After completing his studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the UW-Madison School of Law, he served as the Lac Courte OreillesBand’s tribal attorney beginning in 1978. The tribe was litigating the case on whichthe Voigt Decision was built at that time. Once the 1837 and 1842 Treaty rights werefinally affirmed in 1983, the Voigt Intertribal Task Force (Task Force) was formedto assist member tribes in implementing and protecting those rights. Schlender tookthe lead as the Task Force chairman, a highly demanding position as he, along withtribal representatives and their attorneys, plunged headlong into negotiations with theState of Wisconsin for interim seasons. The interim seasons provided opportunitiesfor tribal members to harvest off-reservation natural resources while the nature andscope of the treaty rights were being further defined in federal court.

Meanwhile, GLIFWC was formed in 1984 with Henry Buffalo Jr. at the helm.The Task Force merged with the Great Lakes Indian Fish Commission, which was

already assisting member tribes in theimplementation of treaty fishing inLake Superior, to include the recentlyaffirmed inland rights. The role ofGLIFWC was to assist member tribesin the implementation and self-regu-lation of those rights. One of the firsttasks at hand was to negotiate interimhunting and fishing agreements al-lowing tribal members an opportu-nity for meaningful harvest.

Negotiations between the tribesand the state were hardball withSchlender heading up the Task Forcefor the tribes and George Meyer, thenWDNR chief of enforcement, leadingthe state’s negotiating team. With anongoing backdrop of litigation be-tween the two parties, the air wasoften tense and tribal representativeshad to dig their heels in to provide ameaningful exercise of the treaty rightsfor tribal members.

I have listened to more than one recounting of negotiating sessions. Onememorable session occurred when Meyer demanded a copy of a tape recording of thatparticular session. Negotiations had stopped for the parties to caucus, and Jim madea copy of the tape using the Xerox machine. Meyer did receive a copy of the tape, butnot the kind of copy he expected—Jim left George the paper with the Xeroxed imageof the tape disc by his chair. Jim chuckled over that one in the office more than onceover the years.

While the battles raged on around the negotiating tables and in the courts, publicsentiments in communities, especially those surrounding Ojibwe reservations,became openly hostile and ugly. Anti-Indian slogans appeared on signs and bumperstickers and anti-Indian organizations began to form. One of the first was EqualRights for Everyone in Hayward, neighbors to the Lac Courte Oreilles Band. Whilehunting one fall, Jim came across one of those signs, “Save a Deer, Shoot an Indian.”He was saddened to think that his neighbors would harbor such sentiments, but it wasa premonition of the uphill path that lay before Jim and the Ojibwe tribes in the treatystruggle that lasted through 1991 in Wisconsin.

The violent voice at landing protests escalated dramatically at the ButternutLake boat landing in Ashland, County, when tribal spearfishermen and their familieswere nearly mobbed in 1987. People were shoved and rocks thrown, and even theDNR officials felt threatened and thought they could have been overwhelmed.

Public misunderstanding of the treaty rights and tribal sovereignty was wide-spread, especially with organizations rampantly spreading mistruths andfearmongering. There were many calls for public meetings and forums, and onceagain Jim stepped up to the plate to represent the tribes. He possessed a gift as aspeaker. He was deeply knowledgeable about treaty law and tribal history, eloquent,and frequently fiery as a speaker.

He became well-known publicly, had his tires slashed during one such forum inMinocqua, Wisconsin and his name, along with then Voigt Intertribal Task ForceChairman Tom Maulson, began to appear on signs carried in protest at the spearfishinglandings. But he continued to speak out to the public as well as to state and federal

officials. His commitment to treatyrights never wavered despite the im-posing roadblocks set in his way.

He assumed more responsibili-ties when he accepted the position ofGLIFWC’s executive administrator in1986. The Commission was yet a fledg-ing organization, but it continued togrow under his guidance. When hefirst came aboard, he assembled thestaff in the crowded meeting room ofthe Old St. Mary’s School building.Jim’s first “speech” to the staff held astrongly stated message. He remindedus of the “great” in our organization’stitle—the Great Lakes Indian Fish &Wildlife Commission and emphasizedthat to make the Commission great, heexpected each of us to strive for per-sonal greatness on the job. He knewour staff was small, our accommoda-tions crowded, and the job was big,

requiring commitment and resolve from the staff to each do their best, reminding usoccasionally that our commitment included having “our hearts with the people.”

While treaty battles and protests raged on, the specter of a radioactive wastedump site in Indian Country raised its ugly head in the mid-1980s, and the treatywarrior had another battle on his hands - another hill to climb, a crest to reach.Committed to protect the northern region from the possibility of nuclear contamina-tion, he went to work opposing the proposed sites. He founded an organization calledConcerned Citizens Against Radioactive Waste, joined hands with environmental-ists and sportsmen to raise public awareness and provide testimony at Department ofEnergy (DOE) hearings. The DOE eventually went away, leaving Wisconsinunscathed.

But protests during the spearfishing season grew and became even uglier. Inresponse to obvious racism being vented in northern Wisconsin, in 1989 Jimorganized the Walking Together: Peace and Justice Walk/Run from Lac du Flambeauto Madison in an effort to gain public awareness of the issues, solicit support for thetribes and treaty rights, and pressure state lawmakers. This was the first of severalsuch journeys he helped organize and complete over the years on behalf of treatyrights and the Anishinaabe people. In 1990 he participated in the second SolidarityRun that circled northern Wisconsin by running to various Ojibwe reservations in asymbolic effort to promote solidarity and heal the social wounds caused by the blatantanti-Indian rhetoric and behavior that even reached into the region’s schools.

While social/political struggles continued, the Commission continued to growon a professional level. The Commission was gathering its own data on cededterritory natural resources, and biological staff were participating at a technical levelon numerous resource management committees, such as committees for the GreatLakes Fishery Commission, the Mississippi Flyway Council and technical workingcommittees with the WDNR. Co-management was one of Jim’s persistent themes,and under his leadership, the Commission’s expanding outreach provided more tribalinput into resource management decisions and continuously strengthened tribal self-regulation capacities.

1991 turned out to be a pivotal year, a year where Jim, the Commission andmember tribes reached the crests of several hills. For one, litigation in Voigt came toa conclusion when both the state and the tribes decided not to appeal to a higher court.This ended the litigation and the intense negotiations for interim agreements. Also the

Voigt Intertribal Task Force ChairmanJim Schlender negotiating interim treatyseasons. (Photo by GLIFWC staff)

Addressing the National Congress ofAmerican Indians in 1987 regarding thegrowing violence and protest in Wisconsin.(Photo by Sue Erickson)

In 1986 Jim Schlender came aboard as GLIFWC’s new executive director. (Photoby Sue Erickson)

MAZINA’IGAN PAGE 12 WINTER 2005/2006

• IN MEMORY OF JIM SCHLENDER •

r Ojibwe ogichidaa walks ons battles and GLIFWC development

joint federal, state and tribal report, Casting Light Upon the Waters, was released,stating that tribal spearing activities were not harming the state’s walleye fisheries—a conclusion drawn from extensive joint fishery assessments. Jim and Commissionstaff worked diligently with the Joint Steering Committee in order to produce thereport, which answered the concerns of some citizens regarding the potential overharvest of fish. For the hardcore protesters it took a lawsuit filed by the Lac duFlambeau Band and the Wa-Swa-Goning Treaty Association. Thirdly, the Commis-sion concluded the year with its first strategic planning conference and a plan that setthe course for GLIFWC’s future, significantly adding to the mission statement thatGLIFWC would “infuse traditional Anishinaabe culture and values as all aspects ofthe mission are implemented”—a new hill began to emerge for Jim and theCommission.

The Commission also recognized the growing need for tribal input in environ-mental issues—issues that impact the ceded territories natural resources. In 1993,under Jim’s guidance, GLIFWC held an environmental strategic planning confer-ence, which provided direction as the Commission faced problems stemming fromproposed mines, mercury contamination and numerous issues in the Great LakesBasin.

But the treaty struggles themselves were not over. Just the year before, in 1990the Mille Lacs Band filed suit in federal court, seeking affirmation of their 1837

Treaty rights. State and public reaction gave promise of another struggle of which theCommission would be an integral part. GLIFWC’s experience and successful trackrecord in tribal self-regulation and co-management also complemented the MilleLacs Band’s legal arguments.

In 1997, Jim along with Tom Maulson and other tribal representatives met withrepresentatives from the Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council(AKRC) on Cedar Island, Lake of the Woods, Ontario at their invitation. Thisstemmed from an earlier, unexpected visit to the GLIFWC office by TobasonakwutKinew, also of the Bizhew Doodem, Ojibways of Onigaming, near Ft. Francis,Ontario. Tobasonakwut, along with his brother, Fred Kelly, both traditional spiritualpeople, were interested in GLIFWC because the first nations of the AKRC weredealing with tribal fishing rights and felt they could learn from GLIFWC’s experi-ences. The relationship resulted in an exchange—GLIFWC’s scientific and legalknowledge for AKRC’s traditional, cultural knowledge and language fluency. BothTom Maulson, then GLIFWC Board of Commission chairman, and Jim carried pipeshome from that meeting on Cedar Island, pipes prepared by Tobasonakwut—one forthe Commission and one for Jim personally. The pipes were also talked about as theywere presented and carried with them a large sense of responsibility and strength assuch gifts bestow. The Commission’s pipe has been used to pray with at allCommission and the Task Force meetings since then.

Now as a pipe carrier, Jim looked at further hills to climb as the spiritual, culturaland traditional elements took on deeper significance in his life and work.

Jim also became a member of the Three Fires Midewiwin Society, led by EddieBenton-Benai, Lac Courte Oreilles, and began to attend ceremonies. He also beganto learn more of the Ojibwe language. Jim took seriously the directive fromGLIFWC’s Strategic Plan to infuse traditional Ojibwe values into its work, con-stantly bringing staff attention to traditional thought and values even amidst acontemporary, scientific, work world. The cultural side of GLIFWC strengthened,evidenced at occasions such as seasonal ceremonies in the office recognizingchanging of the seasons, or at events, such as the naming of the new GLIFWCenforcement boat, Mizhakwad.

In 1998 major challenges were looming on the Mille Lacs 1837 Treaty front. TheUS Supreme Court had agreed to hear arguments on three aspects of the Mille Lacstreaty case—rights that had already been reaffirmed by federal courts. Ojibwe leadersand their legal counsels were concerned that a potential unfavorable decision couldbe a major setback for tribal treaty rights. Following a July, 1998 Board ofCommissioners meeting, they decided to seek spiritual guidance in a jiisakaan,Shaking Tent ceremony. From the ceremony came an answer to major questions—should the tribes negotiate or litigate? Interpreted by Fred Kelly, an answer wasgiven—the treaty rights should be defended. Along with other instructions, it wasalso related that the Treaty Staff should be taken to the hearing. The Treaty Staff,made by Steve Red Buffalo, Lakota-Dakota, had been requested by Mitch WalkingElk to carry on a 1990 Peace Run from Pipestone, Minnesota to Lac du Flambeau.Its formation was guided by a dream and prayer, and it carried with it specialmedicines and instructions, including having the Staff in the courtroom whenevertreaty rights were at stake.

In the fall of 1998 GLIFWC sponsored a Treaty Conference on Madeline Island,a place that is historically, culturally and spiritually important to Ojibwe people. Theconference was both an opportunity for public education and a chance for triballeaders to further discuss upcoming issues and participate in ceremonies. At that timeJim, along with Tom Maulson,and Red Cliff’s Robert Buffalo, a descendant of ChiefBuffalo, signed the Anishinaabe Akii Protocol on behalf of GLIFWC member tribesalong with representatives from the AKRC, Chief Wesley Big George and Clifford

Jim Schlender checks in with Neil Kmiecik, GLIFWC Biological Services Director,then inland fisheries biologist, at one of the open spearfishing landings in 1990.(Photo by Sue Erickson)

Happy to have won a fishing pole for catching the biggest fish during the 1996Partners fishing event, which brings together federal, state and tribal participantsin the Wisconsin Joint Assessment Steering Committee. Then WDNR tribal liaisonDoug Morrissette didn’t seem as happy. (Photo by Amoose)

Neil Kmiecik and Jim Schlender arrive at the site of the MikwendaagoziwagMemorial after paddling across Sandy Lake in 2002 for the annual remembranceceremonies. (Photo by Sue Erickson)

(See Zaagajiiwe, page 14)

PAGE 13 MAZINA’IGANWINTER 2005/2006

MAZINA’IGAN PAGE 14 WINTER 2005/2006• IN MEMORY OF JIM SCHLENDER •

Bob. The Protocol recognizes that AKRC firstnations and GLIFWC tribes are “Bound byCommon Origin and Territory, Clan and Blood,History and Tradition, Language and Custom;We are Brothers and Sisters, Leaders and War-riors of the Sovereign Anishinaabe Nation.” Italso essentially affirms a shared trust to protectthe natural resources and to work jointly topreserve them for all people, even those unborn.

At some point following the Shaking Tentceremony, Neil Kmiecik, GLIFWC biologicalservices director, began to think that the TreatyStaff should be brought by foot to the SupremeCourt hearing, an idea that finally caught onand that Jim came to support. From this sprangone of his larger endeavors—the WaabanongRun. He, along with Neil, a seasoned, long-distance runner, and a core team of runnerscommitted themselves to carrying the Staff onfoot to Washington, DC, reliant on cash and in-kind contributions from tribes and others. De-spite a blustery, wintery start at Lac du Flam-beau, the Waabanong Run was blessed withbeautiful weather all the way east. They startedand ended each day with a prayer, remember-ing one Supreme Court justice each day. Run-ners and walkers crested many hills on theeastward trek. The group arrived with the TreatyStaff in time for the court hearing, and the Staffwas in a room adjacent to the hearing room asthe Supreme Court justices listened to the oralarguments, as it was supposed to be.

Jim was all smiles on March 23, 1999 when he first got word of the 5-4Supreme Court ruling in favor the tribes, gathering the staff together for a pipeceremony and talking circle. It was a day of elation, relief and thanksgiving.

It was in the late 1990’s that Jim became aware of business unfinished atSandy Lake, Minnesota. Words from long-time friend and filmmaker LorraineNorrgard, brought Jim, along with Tobasonakwut, and a few GLIFWC staff to theSandy Lake, Minnesota site, where over 150 Ojibwe had perished in 1850 as partof a scheme to remove Wisconsin Ojibwe to the Minnesota Territory. Another 250died during a wintery walk home. It was a little known tragic story crying out forrecognition. Many of those that had had perished there were left, wrapped in birchbark along the shores of Sandy Lake.

Under Jim’s leadership, GLIFWC staff, GLIFWC member tribes as well asother Ojibwe tribes set about the process of erecting a memorial, the Mikwendaa-goziwag (They are remembered) Memorial at Sandy Lake as well as historical,roadside markers, so the event would never again be forgotten. Thanks to thecooperation of the US Army Corps of Engineers, the memorial overlooks theSandy Lake site from atop a small hill. GLIFWC annually holds ceremonies anda feast at the site, preceded by a symbolic paddle across Sandy Lake. Originally,Jim and Neil paddled and portaged from Madeline Island to Sandy Lake, and thenparticipated in a run/walk, known as the Mikwendaagoziwag Run, back toMadeline Island, to bring recognition to the tremendous hardship imposed on theWisconsin and Michigan Ojibwe to travel in late fall and winter all the way toSandy Lake, Minnesota in order to receive annuity payments, which arrived latein the fall and were never paid in full anyway.

At the office, the smell of burning sage often wafted from the boss’s open dooras he handled the details of GLIFWC daily business, slogging through a host ofissues. Following priorities voiced by one of his heroes, former Packer CoachVince Lombardi, “Your God, your family, your work,” James Schlender extendedthose priorities to the GLIFWC staff as well. He took a little time out in theconference room most days, munching popcorn and chatting with various staff asthey came in and out—staying in touch with everybody. Peering out from beneaththe brim of a Packers hat and from behind tinted glasses, Jim was hard to read. Younever really knew what he might say or come up with, but he was always quick witha quip. He loved word plays and puns and to swap hunting and fishing tales, andhe loved the Green Bay Packers, no matter how they played on the field—but whenit came his team at GLIFWC, he continuously expected the very best.

When I think of Zaagajiiwe now, I think of him most often with a staff in hand,resolutely walking down the road and up and over the hills, always getting to thecrest even when the going got tough. And I say Miigwech Jim for the many hillsyou have crested on behalf of the tribes, the Anishinaabe people, GLIFWC staff,the ancestors, your family and yourself. A traveler through hundreds of meetingsover the years, he remained a warrior and guardian of tribal rights, wary lest theyinadvertently or consciously be eroded.

Zaagajiiwe is one of the many strong fibers from which GLIFWC has beenwoven. His presence will always be here.

Zaagajiiwe is survived by his wife Agnes Fleming, three sons—James Jr.,Justin and Jason, and two daughters—Jenny and Margaret, all of whom he loveddearly. Following traditional, Ojibwe funeral ceremonies, Zaagajiiwe was buriedat the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation on September 2nd. Mii’iw

Zaagajiiwe: A man whocrested many hills

Staff in hand, Jim Schlender heads eastward towards Washington, DC duringthe 1998 Waabanong Run. He and a core group of runners carried the TreatyStaff from Lac du Flambeau to DC for the December Supreme Court hearing.(Photo by Charlie Otto Rasmussen)

(Continued from page 13)

Jim didn’t hide the fact he was an avid Green BayPackers fan. (Photo by Amoose)

Participating in a Talking Circle during the 2005 HealingCircle Run. Jim was a strong advocate and participant inmany Healing Circle Runs, which stemmed from the 1989and 1990 Peace and Solidarity Runs. (Photo by Sue Erickson)

PAGE 15 MAZINA’IGANWINTER 2005/2006 • ENFORCEMENT •

GLIFWC awardedseventh COPS grant

Odanah, Wis.—The Great LakesIndian Fish & Wildlife Commission’s(GLIFWC) Enforcement Division re-ceived news of their seventh grant awardfrom the Department of Justice’s Com-munity Oriented Policing Services(COPS) in the amount of $98,444 fed-eral dollars. GLIFWC provided an ad-ditional $32,813 in matching dollars.

The primary emphasis of this 2005grant is on preparation for cross-deputization with state officers, accord-ing to Fred Maulson, GLIFWC chief ofenforcement. With that goal in mind,GLIFWC requested and received dol-

lars for needed training in areas such asdefense and arrest tactics, emergencyvehicle operation and interview andinterrogation techniques.

Other training included under theCOPS grant are the annual ice rescuetraining and the Wisconsin Departmentof Natural Resources recertificationtraining at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin.

“Over the past seven years COPSgrants have been very meaningful inproviding not only training but updatedand necessary equipment to our en-forcement personnel, “ Maulson states.“It’s allowed us to greatly improve theskills of our force and provide our staffwith equipment adequate to do the job.”

Dollars were also allotted for per-sonal equipment, including updated

By Sue EricksonStaff Writer

body armor, shoulder holsters and gen-eral gear. The shoulder holsters are afirst for GLIFWC’s officers, Maulsonsays, and make weapons much moreaccessible when wearing winter apparel.

Other items in the new grant in-clude lap top mounts for enforcementvehicles, two new snowmobiles andtwo new ATVs, ten updated digital cam-eras, ten GPS units and five new thermo-imaging cameras. The thermo-imagingcameras are a totally new item for theforce and are used during searches. Thecamera senses body heat, from eitherhumans or animals, making it easier tolocate them in a difficult environment.

The grant is a two-year grant, start-ing as of August 1, 2005 and extendingthrough July 31, 2007.

GLIFWC’s 2005 COPS grant wasawarded under the COPS Tribal Re-sources Grant Program and was one of80 grants awarded to tribal law enforce-ment agencies and governments na-tionally, which totalled $18 million tohire 73 officers and purchase neededcrime fighting equipment.

“Through these grants, we seek toincrease the resources available to Na-tive American law enforcement agen-cies as they rely on community policingstrategies to reduce crime,” said COPSDirector Carl Peed. “The funds we’reannouncing will help tribal police de-partments keep pace with the increas-ing demands being made on them toaddress issues ranging from traditionalcrime and disorder to homeland secu-rity and border patrol.”

Lac du Flambeau, Wis.—EmilyMiller started work with GLIFWC’ssatellite enforcement office at Lac duFlambeau on October 10, coming aboardin the midst of the active fall huntingseason. Having grown up in Minocquaand graduating from Lakeland HighSchool, Miller is already familiar withthe area.

Miller came to GLIFWC with aneducational background in criminal jus-tice and with completed basic recruittraining, both acquired at Fox ValleyTechnical Institute.

She has also spent seven summers working for the Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources in the Northern Highlands American Legion State Forest. Fiveof those summers were at the Crystal Lake Contact Station, devoted to assisting thepublic with information or with acquiring permits. She also spent the last twosummers in law enforcement, working as a state forest ranger.

She applied for the position with GLIFWC because it offered an opportunityto work in her field, enforcement, and to remain in the region.

Off work, Miller spends plenty of time doing outdoor recreation. She enjoyshunting and fishing as well as figure skating and camping. She’s also a member ofa women’s volleyball league and plays basketball.

Miller joins Jonas Moermond, who is also stationed at Lac du Flambeau.

Emily Miller joins LdFenforcement teamBy Sue EricksonStaff Writer

Bad River Hunter Safety graduates are, front row from the left: Robert O’Claire,Chelsea Shubat, Victoria Nevala, Michael Lemieux and Jillian Stauffacher.Back row: Instructor Mike Wiggins, Dustin Erickson, Christopher Burrows,Timothy Couture, Michael Hanold and Instructor Vern Stone. (Missing isPhotographer/Instructor David Dacquisto)

Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) youth took advantage of the ATV Safety Class heldat LCO taught by GLIFWC Warden Mark Thayer, assisted by GLIFWCWardens Mike Wiggins and Matt Koser. Pictured above are, from the left, BruceTaylor, Jr., Demitri Rusk, Mark Thayer, Anthony Roach, Mike Wiggins andAndrew Tainter. (Photo by Matt Koser)

Emily Miller. (Photo by Sue Erickson)

Spooner, Wis.—Watching crook-ed fishermen get away with chronic over-bagging on Lake Michigan’s tributariesplanted a seed in a young Matt Martin.Abusing natural resources was unac-ceptable and unsustainable.

The native of the Milwaukee sub-urb, St. Francis, went on to study at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Stevens Point,earning a Bachelor of Science: GeneralResources Management and a doubleminor in environmental law enforce-ment and broad field natural science.

Beginning October 31, Martinbrings his interest in fish and game pro-tection to GLIFWC’s Enforcement Di-vision. The new St. Croix area GLIFWCwarden lives in Spooner and will patrol public lands in northwest Wisconsin.

Prior to joining GLIFWC, Martin worked as a park ranger for two and a halfyears at Harrington State Park in southeast Wisconsin where he enforced statehunting and fishing laws. He earned his basic recruit training certification atMidstate Technical College in Stevens Point.

New St. Croix AreaWarden, Matt MartinBy Charlie Otto Rasmussen, Staff Writer

Matt Martin. (Photo by COR)

MAZINA’IGAN PAGE 16 WINTER 2005/2006• ENFORCEMENT •

Odanah, Wis.—While GLIFWCenforcement satellite offices offer a va-riety of safety classes annually, MoleLake’s Bow Hunter Safety class thisfall was a first, attracting one tribalmember and five non-tribal members.

GLIFWC Warden Roger McGesh-ick, Mole Lake, tackled the new course,organizing it as a six-hour continuum tothe standard Hunter Safety curriculum.“Although we touch on bow safety inthe Hunter Safety class, Bow HuntingSafety goes into a lot more depth onhandling the bow,” McGeshick says.

He hopes to be offering the courseas a twelve-hour minimum session nextyear and is also exploring the possibil-ity of presenting a summer youth pro-gram on bow handling. He says theMole Lake Tribal Council has indicatedtheir support for the idea.

Hunter Safety classes were alsosuccessfully completed on a number ofGLIFWC member reservations thissummer, including the Red Cliff, BadRiver, Lac du Flambeau, Mole Lake,Lac Vieux Desert, and Keweenaw Bayreservations. A total of 93 students par-ticipated in the classes, which served 58tribal and 35 non-tribal students.

Summer ATV Safety courses alsoran on a number of reservations, includ-ing Red Cliff, Lac Courte Oreilles, BadRiver and Mole Lake. These classesserved a total of 39 individuals, 30tribal and nine non-tribal students.

In addition, Mole Lake and Lac duFlambeau ran Boater Safety classes thissummer, serving a total of 16 students,nine tribal members and seven non-tribal members.

Once snow is on the ground,GLIFWC satellite enforcement officeswill be offering Snowmobile Safetyclasses. Contact GLIFWC satellite of-fices for further information.

First GLIFWCBow Hunting Safetyclass at Mole LakeBy Sue EricksonStaff Writer

GLIFWC Conservation Officers Mike Wiggins and Vern Stone with the meatand hide of an illegally killed black bear. The animal’s remains were seized froman Iron County, Wisconsin residence last September by GLIFWC officersfollowing a poaching tip. GLIFWC and Department of Natural Resourceswardens are cooperating to file charges against both tribal and non-tribalmembers. A trial date is pending for a Bad River member involved in the case.(Photo by Charlie Otto Rasmussen)

GLIFWC Warden Roger McGeshick, Mole Lake, demonstrates the use of acompound bow. McGeshick offered GLIFWC’s first Bow Safety class this fall atMole Lake. (Photo by Richard Ackley, Jr.)

GLIFWC conservation officerscomplete basic training

Odanah,Wis.—Two GLIFWC officers, Matt Koser and DaveTembreull, attended Basic Recruit Training at the Chippewa ValleyTechnical College this summer and fall. Koser, stationed at St. Croix,completed the course on August 5. Tembreull, stationed at Lac duFlambeau, is due to graduate on November 18.

Kooskia, Idaho—In The Fight ofthe Salmon People, Douglas W.Dompier draws upon his 33 years in-volvement in Columbia River salmonissues to examine the role hatchery pro-grams play in fishery management froma perspective those in authority seldomacknowledge.

His book provides a unique and in-depth analysis of how the state andfederal fishery agencies gained controlof the salmon resources through thedevelopment of major hatchery pro-grams, which began in the 1950s.

Dompier looks at the crucial deci-sions that dictated why certain specieswere eliminated and others left to facethe development of the Columbia Riverbasin. He explores the decisions ofwhere to locate hatcheries, what spe-cies to rear, and where to release thesalmon.

Dompier also provides an in-depthexamination of the Columbia Rivertreaty tribes’ involvement in salmon

management that followed key federalcourt decisions that provided them themeans to reassert their managementauthority. He examines the tribes’ ef-fort to reform hatchery programs torestore naturally spawning salmon runs.The endeavor often faced controversialand confrontational barriers placed intheir way after their re-emergence assalmon managers.

Dompier describes how the con-struction of hydroelectric dams on theColumbia River system was a fortuitistand convenient way for fishery agen-cies to secure necessary funds to con-struct hatcheries. The agencies chosenot to assist the injured salmon runs, butto provide fish for their constituents.

Loss of salmon harvest devastatedthe tribal community for more than 100years. Unbeknownst to them, much ofthe loss was due to the fishery agenciesdecisions that sought to eliminate tribalfisheries. Through the help of the fed-eral courts and after the formation of the

Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Com-mission in 1977, the tribes once againbecome major players in the manage-ment of salmon as they began to exposeand reverse prior destructive decisions.

Although listing of salmon underthe Endangered Species Act, whichbegan in 1991, appeared to offer helpfor the resource. Dompier examineswhy listing resulted in additional im-pacts to the salmon while status quohatchery programs continued.

Dompier offers a new vision forColumbia River salmon managementhighlighted with a recommendation thatCongress create a new administrativeauthority composed of tribal, state, andfederal authorities empowered with theobjective to restore naturally spawningstocks of salmon.

He also examines how the public’srole can be modified to assist in therestoration efforts. Dompier recognizesthat modification of society’s role willbe as difficult and perhaps, in many

instances, more difficult than the fish-ery managers’ adjustments. Years ofanger and mistrust that developedaround the issues important to survivalof salmon resources such as habitatprotection and restoration, which in-cludes stream flows and fish passage atmainstream dams, and society’s need toadvance will not be quickly put aside.For the sport fishing industry, the yearsit took to climb to the top of the harvestpyramid through state and federal po-litical processes will not be easily castoff.

However, Dompier recognizes forthe salmon to not only survive but alsoprosper into the new century, the com-batants must find ways to put aside theirdifferences and unite in their efforts torestore and protect salmon.

The Fight of the Salmon Peopleby Douglas W. Dompier, Trade Paper-back; $22.99; 351 pages; 1-4134-9296-7; Cloth Hardback; $32.99; 351 pages;1-4134-9297-5.

Dompier provides new insightinto salmon management

PAGE 17 MAZINA’IGANWINTER 2005/2006 • KID’S PAGE •

Clean lakes make good f ishing,more fun in the waterWe all need to help keep our lakes clean!

Summer is over and soon our lakes and rivers will be covered withice and snow. During the cold winter months we can remember thewarm summer days we spent swimming and fishing in our northernlakes and rivers. We can look forward to more summer fun once wepass through the cold months!

Today many strange critters and plants have gotten into many ofour lakes and rivers. They have come from other places, sometimescarried on boats or in bait buckets. Or somebody may have emptiedtheir aquarium into a lake, introducing a strange plant or fish. Thesenew plants and critters are called “exotics” and can be very harmful toour native fish and plants. Sometimes the exotics have no naturalenemies, so take over the other plants or fish that were already livingthere. Their numbers grow and grow, and they can become a bigproblem, changing the habitat, which has included many varieties ofplant and animal life for generations. We don’t want this to happen,because sometimes it makes our lakes and rivers clogged with un-wanted plants, so clogged it is hard to boat or swim through.

So be careful what you might bring from other lakes and rivers onyour fishing or swimming equipment. Help your parents check yourboat for plants that may have gotten caught on the motor or even onthe trailer. If you have an aquarium, never release strange fish into ourlakes and don’t put aquarium plants into our waters.

Of course, we all know we don’t throw our garbage or rubbish intothe water either. We want and need clean water—that makes for goodfishing, swimming and a healthy environment.

Exotics—The creepy critters and plants:

How would you like to fish in this lake or how about swim in it? How manyfish can even live in it? Exotic plants got into this lake and took over. Youcan barely paddle a boat through it. It’s too weedy even for the fish. I hopethe person in this boat remembers to clean the boat and paddles off beforegoing to the next lake!!! What could happen if they don’t?

No exotics have gotten into this lake yet, and we hope never will! A clean,healthy lake is a lot more fun for everybody. (Drawings © 2005 MelissaRasmussen)

Zebra mussels look like small clamswith “D” shaped shells and usuallyhave light and dark stripes. They attachthemselves to boat hulls and their tinylarvae can live for weeks in water leftonboard. (Photo reprinted fromwww.invasive.org.)

Eurasian watermilfoil is an underwaterplant that grows fast and can reach upto 20 feet long. This plant has takenover many midwestern waters, chokingout native plants and damaging fishhabitats. (Photo by Doug Jensen,Minnesota Sea Grant)

Sea lamprey is an eel-like fish thatinvaded the Great Lakes. They attachthemselves to the sides of fish and suckout their blood and body fluids. (Photoby Minnesota Sea Grant)

The fishook (bottom) and spiny (top)waterfleas are tiny crustaceans,distantly related to shrimp, lobster, andcrayfish. It is a small creature, about 1/2 inch long, which must drift withwater currents if it is to move longdistances. They often catches on fishinglines and downrigger cables. (Photoby Doug Jensen, Minnesota Sea Grant)

By Sue Erickson, Staff Writer

MAZINA’IGAN PAGE 18 WINTER 2005/2006• GREAT LAKES •

Assessment nettingChilly work on thebig lake

Copper Harbor, Mich.—TheGreat Lakes Indian Fish & WildlifeCommission’s (GLIFWC) Great LakesSection is in the midst of its fall laketrout and whitefish spawning assess-ment surveys.

During the second week of Octo-ber, section staff Mike Plucinski, NateBigboy, and Ben Michaels with assis-tance from Ed Leoso, Bad River LakeSuperior fisheries technician, began set-ting nets at Copper Harbor, Michiganas part of an annual assessment to iden-tify discrete stocks of lake trout and todetermine their distribution, relativeabundance and biological characteris-tics in management units of the 1842Treaty ceded area within Michiganwaters of Lake Superior.

An additional task this season wasto collect lake trout between 24 and 27inches long for the Great Lakes Na-tional Program Office’s Fish Monitor-ing Program. The crew of the GLIFWCvessel Mizhakwad fished 2,300 feet ofgraded mesh gill net for 4 consecutivedays near Copper Harbor starting Octo-ber 10th. During this time 37 lake troutwere collected for contaminate analy-sis under funding from the Environ-mental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes

Gay, Mich.—Buffalo Reef near the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan,provides critical spawning habitat for Lake Superior whitefish and lake trout. Thereef may be impacted by stamp sands, the waste that was created when coppercontaining ore was crushed to enable recovery of the metal.

These stamp sands were discharged in large quantities directly into LakeSuperior at Gay, Michigan creating a peninsula of gray fine grained sand along thelakeshore. This sand contains heavy metals and, because they are very fine grained,can smother appropriate spawning habitat. Anecdotal evidence from tribal fisher-men suggests that the stamp sands are moving toward Buffalo Reef.

Mining wastes have been identified in the Lake Superior Lakewide Manage-ment Plan (LaMP) 2000 as a principal stress to aquatic habitat in Lake Superior.So GLIFWC is in the midst of a two year project at Buffalo Reef during which theextent of the reef’s spawning area (approximately 800 acres or 3.2 squarekilometers) will be mapped in order to create a picture of the current substrateconditions. In addition, the southeast extent of the stamp sands, nearest to BuffaloReef, will be mapped (approximately 160 acres or 0.7 square kilometers) in orderto assess the current distribution of stamp sands. This information will provide abaseline so that later surveys can document any migration of the stamp sands.

LaMP 2000 identifies mapping of habitat in Lake Superior as a high prioritygoal. This goal suggests “using remote sensing and advance global positioningsystems to describe the distribution and quantity of Lake Superior bottom substrates.. . especially in areas where habitat has been destroyed or altered.” This mapping willbe accomplished using sonar technology and summarized into a GIS database.

Currently, GLIFWC staff are performing expanded lake trout and whitefishspawning assessments on Buffalo Reef to assess the distribution and pattern of useof Buffalo Reef by spawning lake trout and whitefish. During week one GLIFWCGreat Lakes Section staff set nets over various substrate types identified during thesummer’s habitat mapping. This information, along with GLIFWC’s assessmentdata gathered over the past 15 years, will be put into a database and GIS maps willbe created that combine substrate information with fish distribution. This may helpmanagers assess whether fish are spawning in the part of the reef that is most likelyto be impacted by the migration of stamp sands and determine the magnitude of thelikely impact if the stamp sands do, indeed, move onto Buffalo Reef.

This project is being complemented by similar mapping performed by theKeweenaw Bay (KB) Indian Community. The tribe has mapped the location ofstamp sands south of this project area in KB. The information collected byGLIFWC will help to complete the picture of stamp sand distribution in KB andwill complement the tribe’s work.

Anchorage, Alaska—The 4th Sea Grant Sponsored American FisheriesSociety Symposium, “Partnerships for a Common Purpose: Cooperative FisheriesResearch and Management, took place September 13-14 in Anchorage, Alaska aspart of the 135th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.

The Symposium brought together fishermen, research scientists, and fisheriesbiologists from across the United States and Canada to discuss lessons learned,characteristics of successful programs, and future opportunities for cooperativefisheries research and management programs.

Bill Mattes, Great Lakes Section Leader, was an invited panelist during thesymposium session—“Making Cooperative Management Work.” Mattes pro-vided an overview of cooperative management arrangements within the Ojibweceded territories, provided input to the ensuing discussions, and answered questionfrom the audience.

The mission of the American Fisheries Society is to improve the conservationand sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancingfisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries profes-sionals. Information on the American Fisheries Society and draft symposiumproceedings can be found at www.fisheries.org.

GLIFWC biologist presentsat national symposium

National Program Office (GLNPO),while an additional 99 fish were taggedand released. The crew will continueassessments through November 23.

GLNPO has been maintaining amonitoring program for contaminantlevels of various organic substancesfound in lake trout in Lake Superiorsince 1977. This is a continuation of aprogram started in the mid-1960s by theU.S. Geological Survey. This project,currently implemented by GLNPO, hascooperation from the Great Lakes states,selected state agencies, and GLIFWC.A review of the Fish Monitoring Pro-gram was concluded in 2005 andGLIFWC staff were involved in thereview process.

The overall goals of the Fish Moni-toring Program for Lake Superior are tomonitor temporal trends in bioaccu-mulative organic chemicals in lake trout,to assess potential human exposure toorganic contaminants found in thesefish, and to provide information on newcompounds of concern entering thelake’s ecosystem.

By meeting these goals the pro-gram attempts to satisfy requirementsset forth by the Great Lakes WaterQuality Agreement (GLWQA), whichcalls for the Great Lakes to be free oftoxic substances that are harmful to fishand wildlife and the people that eatthem.

Nate Bigboy, fisheries technician, measures and tags a lake trout near CopperHarbor, Michgan. (Photo by Bill Mattes)

Preliminary substrate map for Buffalo Reef, Michigan. (Provided by HansBiberhoffer, Environment Canada.)

Buffalo Reef assessmentsconsider potential impactof stamp sandsBy Bill Mattes, GLIFWC Great Lakes Section Leader

By Bill Mattes, GLIFWCGreat Lakes Section Leader

PAGE 19 MAZINA’IGANWINTER 2005/2006 • INVASIVE SPECIES •

Odanah, Wis.—With authorization from the VoigtIntertribal Task Force, GLIFWC recently issued a year-long extension of a closure order for tribal firewood gather-ing within defined locations on the Laona/Lakewood RangerDistrict of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Thepurpose of the closure order is to prevent the spread of afungal disease called oak wilt.

Oak wilt can kill a red oak within weeks after the onsetof symptoms. The fungus produces mats of spores (repro-ductive cells) under the tree’s bark. A sweet odor emanat-ing from the mats attract beetles, which then serve asvectors to uninfected oaks. Transporting infected firewoodgreatly increases the potential spread of this fungus.

Oak wilt was first detected on the Laona/LakewoodRanger District in 2001. Since then, the USDA ForestService has enforced a closure order for firewood gatheringwithin the affected area. GLIFWC has enforced a similarclosure order for tribal firewood gathering.

Additional information may be found at the followingwebsites:www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/oakwilt/oakwilt.htmwww.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/howtos/ht_oakwilt/toc.htmwww.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/Forestry/Fh/oakWilt

Odanah, Wis.—Transporting firewood can be hazardous to the health of theforest! That is, if the firewood harbors non-native, tree-damaging insects andfungi. Examples include the emerald ash borer, oak wilt, gypsy moth, and Asianlonghorned beetle.

The emerald ash borer has been of greatest concern because it has alreadykilled millions of ash trees. This Asian beetle, first detected in North Americaduring 2001, has moved rapidly through lower Michigan and has just recently beendetected in the Upper Peninsula (see article, page 9). Officials believe that themovement of firewood has been a primary cause of this ballooning distribution.

Michigan state law now prohibits the export of ash wood from identifiedquarantine areas. Furthermore, the USDA Forest Service has issued emergencyclosure orders to prevent ash wood (branches, logs, etc.) and firewood of anyspecies originating in the quarantine areas from being used, stored or transportedwithin the national forests of Michigan.

Oak wilt, a fungus first identified in 1944, occurs throughout the easternUnited States, including the southern portion of the ceded territories. Some expertsbelieve this fungus is native, while others believe it arrived in the early 1900’s.Confusion has arisen from the difficulty in isolating and identifying the fungus,which has hampered attempts to determine the full extent of its distribution.

Transporting infected firewood is one means by which this disease spreads.However, firewood from infected oaks may still be gathered if the wood is

debarked before the warm season; exposing the wood to air kills the fungus. Uncutinfected firewood must be stored safely under a tightly sealed tarp for at least onewarm season. Of course, there will always be a risk of spreading the disease evenwhen using these preventative measures.

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest first detected oak wilt on theirlands in 2001. Concerned about future infestations throughout northern Wiscon-sin, Forest officials issued a ban on the gathering of firewood within the affectedareas. GLIFWC has issued a similar ban for tribal firewood gathering (see articlebelow).

Gypsy moths arrived in North America in 1868 from France. LeopoldTrouvelot, a French scientist with a strong interest in caterpillars, imported thisinsect in an attempt to breed a more robust silkworm. Presently, it occursthroughout the northeast and into Michigan and Wisconsin.

The gypsy moth caterpillar eats the leaves of many plants, but favorshardwood trees, particularly oaks. An outbreak of caterpillars often results in treedefoliation. Though leaves grow back the following year, the now weakened treebecomes vulnerable to secondary infestations of additional insects and diseases.

Adult gypsy moths lay eggs on man-made and natural objects, includingstanding and downed dead trees. Firewood should be closely inspected for eggsmasses and not transported if found to be infected. Care should be taken in handlingegg masses because they can cause allergic reactions.

Asian longhorn beetles and larvae feed on hardwoods, favoring maples,causing extensive damage and often death to the trees. Infestations were firstdetected in New York in 1996 and Chicago in 1998. Accidentally imported from

China, likely in wooden shipping crates, thebeetle’s distribution in North America hasapparently remained relatively localized.

Nonetheless, its distribution could in-crease with the careless movement of infestedwood. Signs of infestations include oval toround pits in tree bark and coarse sawdustaround the tree base. An adult beetle is about1 1/4 inches in length, is black with white spotsand has long, black and white striped anten-nae.

For many people, gathering and burningfirewood is a necessity for home heating. Yet,with the introduction of non-native insects andfungi, care should be given when gathering.Unquestionably, guidelines and regulationsregarding the transport of firewood should beheeded to reduce the potential for an acciden-tal spread of these non-native insects andfungi.

Caution: Contaminated firewoodCheck for infestation before transport

VITF authorizes extended banon firewood gathering

By Karen Danielsen, GLIFWC Forest Ecologist

By Karen DanielsenGLIFWC Forest Ecologist

Leaves exhibiting oak wilt symptoms. Transporting firewood isone means by which this disease spreads.(Photo by F.A. Baker)

Adult gypsy moths lay eggs on man-made andnatural objects, including standing and downeddead trees. Firewood should be closely inspectedand not transported if found to be infected.

MAZINA’IGAN PAGE 20 WINTER 2005/2006• INLAND FISHERIES •

Back on the Chain:Lake Sturgeon returnto Lac du Flambeau

Lac du Flambeau, Wis.—Despitethe 7’ 1” near 200 pound frame, this Lacdu Flambeau (LdF) native never wentnear a basketball court, preferring toswim the cool waters of the reservation’sChain of Lakes. Most likely because itwas a fish. Harvested by spear in 1981,it represents that last lake sturgeon onrecord taken from the 8,900-acre lakechain.

Twenty-four years later, a restora-tion program funded by the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service is underway, and LdFnatural resource officials feel they havea good shot at bringing the big fishback.

“We haven’t heard of any sturgeonon the Chain from fishermen or surveycrews in 20 years,” said Larry Wawron-owicz, LdF natural resources director.“Some sturgeon were spotted in theBear River around four years ago, andwe started to develop plans for a fisher-ies renovation project.”

Following the construction of adam at the confluence of FlambeauLake and the outgoing Bear River acentury ago, an important sturgeon mi-gration route was cut off, Wawronowicz

said. The seven-footer speared by tribalmember Butch St. Germaine was prob-ably a holdover trapped in the lakeswhen the dam was completed, he said.

Beginning with the release of 4,000fingerlings last October, the tribe planson stocking the Chain of Lakes with12,000 sturgeon over three years. Thecoarse-skinned juveniles averagearound seven inches long and—clad ina characteristic gray-black camouflagepattern—blend easily into the lakes. Alleleven lakes in the Flambeau Chain areslated to receive one sturgeon for everyhalf-acre of surface water. After thelake stocking goals are met, Wawron-owicz said tribal resource staff will re-lease any extra fish into the Bear River.

“In the years ahead we hope toestablish and maintain a harvestablelake sturgeon population on reserva-tion waters,” Wawronowicz said. Thatmay occur as early as 2013, he added.

Hatching a new generationThe dam that severed the key wa-

ter route from lake to river system sitsless than a mile from the state of the artWilliam J. Poupart Sr. Tribal Hatcherywhere sturgeon and other species arehatched and reared. Project cooperatorsfrom the Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources traveled downstream

to the outlet of the Turtle-FlambeauFlowage last spring, collected eggs andmilt from spawning sturgeon and trans-ferred them to the tribal hatchery.

Fittingly, and with a dash of irony,historic spearer Butch St. Germaine now

By Charlie Otto RasmussenStaff Writer

manages the hatchery and is a key playerin the program. St. Germaine and natu-ral resource technicians inject a tinyPIT, or passive integrated transponder,chip into every sturgeon. The chip re-mains in each sturgeon throughout itslife, enabling survey crews to identifyindividual fish years, even decades, intothe future.

“I’ll never live to see these stur-geon get to that size [as his 1981 catch],”he said. “But it’s important to get thisproject going.”

The sturgeon is known as ogimaagiigonh, or king of fish in Ojibwe cos-mology and continues to be an impor-tant clan species. Once abundantthroughout the ceded territories, stur-geon populations have declined sharplysince the 1800s through over fishing,pollution and development like damconstruction. Lake sturgeon can livewell over 100 years old.

Wawronowicz said rearing lakesturgeon has been a departure from thehatchery’s usual line-up that includeswalleye, muskellunge and trout. Grownthrough the summer on a diet of brineshrimp and other pricey delicacies, thesturgeon have racked up a hefty grocerybill. Bound by budget restraints,Wawronowicz is exploring other lessexpensive feed options, something alongthe lines of processed fish pellets thatother hatchery species routinely con-sume.

But the one distinction betweenfish species that sticks with Wawron-owicz is the seemingly curious andamiable nature of young lake sturgeon.Instead of darting instinctively awayfrom a human hand entering their tank,sturgeon waggle over—not too fast—and harmlessly nibble on fingers orotherwise examine the new arrival.

“It’s kind of neat how they re-spond. They act almost like a dog insome ways,” he said.

Staff at Lac du Flambeau’s William J. Poupart Sr. Tribal Fish Hatchery weigheach sturgeon fingerling prior to marking the fish with an identification tag.Tribal and state fisheries managers are teaming with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the John G. Shedd Aquarium to restore lake sturgeon in theFlambeau Chain of Lakes. (Photo by Charlie Otto Rasmussen)

Miigwech to all the crew members who worked with GLIFWC’s juvenile walleye assessment this fall! Pictured from leftto right (top row): Nick Milroy, Dale Nelson, Joe Dan Rose, Butch Mieloszyk, Greg Smart, Shane Cramb, Ron ParisienJr. Middle Row: Tom Houle, Josh Johnson and Frank Stone. Bottom Row: Louis Plucinski, Billy Joe Nelis, MicheleWheeler, Pete Bigboy, Mitch Soulier and Sam Quagon. Crew members not pictured: David Moore, Don Taylor, TonyHavranek, Tom Frye, Mike Preul, Frank Ols, Ed Wiggins, Ed White, Joe Livingston, Dave Parisien, Brian Borkholder,Caine Heffner, Rick A. Nelis, Bentley Brehm, Rich L. Nelis. (Photo by Dave Plucinski)

PAGE 21 MAZINA’IGANWINTER 2005/2006 • OJIBWEMOWIN •

“W” Questions/AnswersAaniindi wenjibaayan? Where are you from?Onigamiinsing nindoonjibaa. Duluth, I originate from there.Aaniin apii gaa-maajaawaad. When did they leave?Gii-naawakweg gii-maajaawag. When it was noon they did leave.Anishwiin wejibwemoyeg? Why do you all speak Ojibwe?Niminwendaamin ojibwemoyaang miisa go geget!We are happy when we speak Ojibwe, for sure!

Goojitoon! Try it!Translation below.

Double vowel system of writing Ojibwemowin.—Long vowels: AA, E, II, OOOnzaam—as in fatherGego—as in jayGaawiin—as in seenMoozhag—as in moon

—Short Vowels: A, I, OIdash—as in aboutIngiw—as in tinOnishwaag—as in only

—A glottal stop is a voiceless nasal sound as in A’aw.

—Respectfully enlist an elder for help in pronunciation and dialect differences.

Down:1. Go get it!

2. Do you dance?

3. Be in motion!

5. Do good things!

6. Those (animate).

Across:4. Now, today

7. Greetings, how or in what way?

8. Don’t!

Who (pl)—Awenen (ag)

IKIDOWINODAMINOWIN(word play)

Translations:Niizh—2 A. Let’s all go walking! Let’s all go running! Let’s all go now! B. Ask him or her, “What are you doing today?” C. Perhaps youare walking and hunting on the trail. D. Do you dance? Maybe? when it is winter you are skilled at skating? E. On the lake? or on topof a hill do you ski? F. Please don’t smoke! G. Fetch a small plate and eat well! That’s all.Niswi—3 Down: 1. Naadin! 2. Giniim ina? 3. Mamaajiig! 5. Minochigeg! 6. Ingiw Across: 4. Noongom 7. Aaniin 8. Gego!Niiwin—4 1. Hello. How or in What way are you? 2. When did they go snowshoeing to the north? 3. Yesterday, where did you all gowalking. 4. Always why are we all eating doughnuts? 5. Who wants to cook the vegetables. There are various Ojibwe dialects; check for correct usage in your area. Note that the English translation will lose its natural flow as inany world language translation. This may be reproduced for classroom use only. All other uses by author’s written permission. All inquiriescan be made to MAZINA’IGAN, P.O. Box 9, Odanah, WI 54861.

Niizh—2Bezhig—1 OJIBWEMOWIN(Ojibwe Language)

Niiwin—4Niswi—33

5

21

Questions“W” question words

Aandi

Aaniin

Awenen

Anishwiin

Aaniin apii

1. Boozhoo _________ ezhinikaazoyan?

4

Biboon—It is Winter

6

8

7

3. Bijiinaago _____ gaa-pimoseyeg?

Circle the 10 underlined Ojibwe words in the lettermaze. (Translations below)

Biboong, zoongingwaashiwag ingiw makwag. Onzaam gaawiin gidaa-nibaasiimin.Giwii-wapaa’ininim. Onishkaag! Gego gawishimoken!

Daga aatebidoon i’iw mazinaatesijigan. Moozhag, minochigeg! Mamaajiig!Giga-minwamaanji’om. Endaso-giizhik giwii-minwendamim giinawaa bimoseyeg.

Gidagindaanaawaan niizhtana diba’igaansan. Howah!

(When it is winter, they are in a deep sleep those bears. Too much we should not sleep.I want to disturb your sleep. Get up from lying down! Don’t lie down!

Please, turn off the television. Often, do something good! Be in motion!You all shall be healthier. Everyday you all will be happy, you all, when you walk.

You all count them, twenty minutes. Alright!)

I C A P

L Z B G A X

B O H G I F I

I N G A O D H N

M A L G A O A M O

O A E W J D I A I V

S G K E X I A T K S Y

E A M J N W A A T I R D

D A G I G I I Y O S E A

A N G M A A Z H A A Q G

A S N V A O U Z P I S A

What way, How—Aaniin Where—Aaniindi, Aandi When—Aaniin apii Why—Anishwiin

2. _____ gaa-aagimosewaad giiwedinong?

A. Bimosedaa! Bimibaatoodaa! Izhaadaa noongom!

B. Gagwejim, “Aaniin ezhichigeyan noongom?

C. Ganabaj gibimose dash gigiiyose miikinaang.

D. Giniim ina? Maazhaa ina biboong ginitaa-zhooshkwaada’e?

E. Zaaga’iganing ina gemaa agidaaki gizhooshkwaagime?

F. Daga gego zagaswaaken!

G. Naadin onaagaans idash minwanjigen! Mii’iw.

also: Giishpin—If, Apegish—I hope Always speak verbs in conjunct form following the “W” question words.There is also an initial vowel sound change.

4. Apane _____ amwang bookadiniganag?

5. _____waa-jiibaakwaadang gitigaanensan?

Aaniin ezhi-ayaayan? How are you?Aandi ezhaayaan? Where am I going?Awenen waa-pimibaatood agwajiing? Who wants to go running outside?

MAZINA’IGAN PAGE 22 WINTER 2005/2006• WATER CONFERENCE/NEW STAFF •

CorrectionThe fall edition of Mazina’igan included the wrong ISBN numberfor the book entitled “The Birchbark House,” by Louise Erdrich.The correct ISBN number is 078680300-2. We apologize for thiserror.

By Sue EricksonStaff Writer

Odanah, Wis.—Carol Newago,a Red Cliff tribal member, filled theopening for the position of GLIFWC’sbenefit specialist, starting the job onOctober 3rd. She is in charge of man-aging insurances, retirement and healthbenefits for employees, workman’scompensation, and GLIFWC inven-tory.

Newago studied accounting andbusiness at Wisconsin IndianheadTechnical School and subsequently atMt. Scenario College, Ladysmith, Wis-consin and has previous work experi-ence in accounting with the Red Cliff Tribe and for private business.

Besides now working for GLIFWC, Carol and her husband, George P., haveactively participated in on and off-reservation harvests for years. They gathermaple sap and make syrup in the early spring and also participate in spring spearingin Wisconsin and netting in Minnesota’s Mille Lacs Lake. Although they haven’triced for several seasons, they have harvested and processed wild rice in past yearsas well.

Carol and George have three children, two daughters and one son, and thesedays are frequently kept busy with grandchildren, including two granddaughtersand one foster grandson.

New faces at GLIFWCMayotte enlists intotwo-year language grantBy Charlie Otto Rasmussen, Staff Writer

Odanah, Wis.—Ojibwe culture,history and language captured PatMayotte’s attention as a kid, beginninga life-long interest in understandingregional tribes. He became an avidreader, learned traditional skills andearned two college degrees in Ameri-can Indian studies. Mayotte appliesthat education and experience into anew position at GLIFWC as a languageresearch assistant.

Beginning in September the BadRiver member began working under atwo-year Administration for NativeAmericans grant to catalog presettle-ment Ojibwe place names in the ceded

territories for locations like villages, rivers, lakes and other natural features. Theproject additionally seeks to identify the names of birds, insects, plants andamphibians in Ojibwemowin, or the Ojibwe language. At the end of the study,GLIFWC researchers plan on publishing the results and creating a CD that includesphotographs, text, maps and names spoken in Ojibwemowin.

Mayotte said that one of the highlights of the position is meeting with elderswho provide some of Ojibwe names and translations. During the course of theirconversations, Mayotte gets a welcome dose of history and world views that shedslight on how Ojibwe names were generated for many places and creatures. Notesrecorded by early white explorers and surveyors reveal more valuable information.

Born and raised in Odanah, Mayotte went on to study at Northland Collegein Ashland and received a BAS in American Indian Mental Health at the Universityof Minnesota-Duluth. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison he earned aMasters Degree in Cultural Anthropology. After spending years away from theBad River Reservation, Mayotte has returned to Odanah where he is raising his 13-year-old daughter. In his free time Mayotte crafts traditional drums, particularlyhand drums, and annually tends a Three Sisters Garden that includes beans, squashand corn.

Newago joins GLIFWC staffas benefits specialist

Lac du Flambeau, Wis.—Seasonedenvironmental activists, natural resourceprofessionals and legal experts came to sharetheir experiences in protecting the mostprecious resource on the globe: water. OnOctober 22, more than 120 people fromaround the state attended “Joining the Wa-ters: A Forum on Tribal Sovereignty andWater Quality in Wisconsin.”

“Tribal sovereignty extends beyondthe borders of the reservation. That’s one ofmost important messages that came out ofthis event,” said attorney and lead confer-ence planner Andrew Hanson.

Through treaties negotiated in the mid-1800s, Wisconsin’s six Ojibwe bands exer-cise limited authority to protect the environ-ment in approximately the northern third ofthe state known as the ceded territory.

Great Lakes Indian Fish & WildlifeCommission staff members were among the speakers that included representativesfrom individual tribes and environmental organizations. Biologist Adam DeWeesehighlighted GLIFWC’s mercury monitoring program in walleye; John Coleman,Environmental Section Leader, explained GLIFWC’s role in protecting groundand surface water from metallic sulfide mining initiatives; and Policy Analyst AnnMcCammon Soltis presented a general overview of how the Commission and itseleven member tribes co-manage off-reservation natural resources in associationwith the Department of Natural Resources.

Unified water protectionsought for northern WisconsinForum evaluates tribal, state and private efforts

Pat Mayotte. (Photo by COR)

Carol Newago. (Photo by Sue Erickson)

“It was a very productive conferencein helping both the tribes and non-tribalfolks see how water protections can beaccomplished by working together,” saidColeman. “But it really needs follow-up tomake it happen.”

In addition to toxic contamination frommining and industry, water quality is in-creasingly threatened by legislation thatmakes it easier for developers to alter ripar-ian habitats. Hanson cited Act 118, oftencalled the Jobs Creation Act, as a particu-larly poor piece of legislation.

“The act strips protections for shore-lines. That affects northern Wisconsin andthe tribes,” he said of the measure thatpassed in January 2004.

Hanson, one of three attorneys for theMadison-based Midwest EnvironmentalAdvocates, said the gathering made impor-tant connections between mainstream envi-ronmental groups and the tribes, tappingthe spirit of the coalition that opposed de-

velopment of a metallic sulfide mine near Crandon. After a 28-year struggle, Indianand non-native groups effectively ended the bid by Nicolet Minerals Company tomine copper and zinc from a highly sensitive watershed just outside the Mole Lakereservation in 2003.

The conference was funded by a grant from the Environmental LeadershipProgram, a non-profit group that helps individuals develop skills to better organizenatural resource protection efforts. Proceedings from the conference will beavailable online at www.superiorbroadcast.org.

By Charlie Otto RasmussenStaff Writer

“Joining the Waters” conference at Lac du Flambeau brought togetherprofessionals and volunteers from across the region. Pictured above (r-l)GLIFWC’s John Coleman, Sokaogan Attorney Glenn Reynolds, WisconsinWildlife Federation Director George Meyer and an unidentified participant.(Photo by Charlie Otto Rasmussen)

PAGE 23 MAZINA’IGANWINTER 2005/2006 • LAKE SUPERIOR FISH •

The grant will allow for the acquisition of some equip-ment, such as vacuum-packers and pin-bone machines that canbe leased by tribal fishermen. The equipment will be madeavailable on a trade basis—fish for equipment. In other words,the fishermen will be asked to supply a certain quantity of fishto tribal food distribution programs, food shelves or commu-nity benefits in order to qualify for assistance from the grant.Items necessary to set-up a traveling fish-fry/fish-boil businessare also included.

The second year objective, will expand these efforts toinland GLIFWC member tribes and their neighboring commu-nities. Often these communities and their businesses are notfamiliar with Lake Superior whitefish or lake herring products.

GLIFWC will also develop a website so consumers canlocate tribal fish shops as well as work on co-marketingopportunities with area restaurants, grocery stores, and tourismevent planners. Diversifying the product is also on the agenda.Filets are not the only marketable item—foods such as smokedfish, smoked fish dips and spreads, whitefish livers, and caviarare delicious alternatives and need to be marketed more effec-tively to consumers.

It’s difficult for “mom and pop” type businesses to makethe necessary investments in advertising and marketing,Thannum says. The grant will help develop some of thispotential with brochures, the website, and mailing lists.

Ideally, production will need to be geared up to meet anew demand created through marketing. Thannum is hopefulthat the grant will assist tribal commercial fishermen to com-pete in today’s market where customers have the opportunitiesto choose fish harvested throughout the world, thus sustaininga traditional, inter-generational way of life for the tribal, LakeSuperior commercial fishing families. The grant is designed toconclude in two years, leaving an infrastructure that willcontinue well after the grant’s completion.

Peterson's Fish Market Owners, employees and customers worked together toraise $1,000.00 in just three weeks to assist survivors of Hurricane Katrina.Pictured, from the left, are: Tammi Peterson, Patricia Peterson, Ray Defoe,Captain Mark Nance of the Salvation Army, and Gilmore Peterson. (Photosubmitted)

Attention seafood handlers!Seafood HACCP course

slated for JanuaryThe Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) andthe MSU Michigan Sea Grant will be offering a Seafood HACCP classthat will run January 17 through January 20, 2006 on the Red Cliffreservation. For more information contact Sharon Nelis at GLIFWC:715-682-6619 ext. 138.

(Continued from page 11)PlacesAniibiminaang—“Place of the highbush cranberries”—VinelandAazhoomog—“River crossing”—Lake Lena CommunityAsinigaaning—“At the place of a lot of rocks”—SandstoneBakoneshkodeyaa—“Hole in the prairie”—Belle PrairieBaketigweyaag—“Divided river (river branches off)”—BranchChi-minis—“Big island”—Malone IslandChi-minising—“At the big island”—IsleChi-minising wiikwed—“Big island bay”—Isle HarborEko-bisiing—“At the end of the water”—DuxburyGaazhigwanaabikoogag—“Place where the grindstones are”—HinckleyGibaakwa’igaansing—“At the little dam”—OnamiaWiikwegamaa—“In the bay water”—Cove BayWiikwegamaang—“At the place in the bay water”—CoveZaagawaamikaag wiikwed—“Place in the bay where many beaver exit”—

Wahkon BayZaagawaamikaag wiikwedong—“at the place in the bay where many beaver

exit”—WahkonZaaging—“At the outlet”—Vineland BayZaagneyaashing—“Point of land at the outlet”—Indian PointZhaabojiwang—“At the place where the water passes through”—Cambridge

Gidakiiminaan continued

Grant seeks to market Lake Superior f ish(Continued from page 1)

It’s difficult for “mom and pop” type businesses to make the necessary investmentsin advertising and marketing. The Administration for Native Americans grantwill help develop some of this potential with brochures, the website, and mailinglists. Located at Hancock, Michigan is the fish shop of Gilmore Peterson, a RedCliff tribal fisherman, who is marketing his own fish directly to the buyer. (Photoby Jim Thannum)

A dramatic rise in seafood imports, especially from Canada, have undercut the market for fresh LakeSuperior fish, severely impacting tribal, commercial fishermen, who also face rising fuel costs. Witha new ANA grant, GLIFWC is looking for new, regional marketing options to counteract the currentmarket trends.

Susan Erickson

....................... Editor

Lynn P

lucinski ....................... Assistant E

ditorC

harlie Otto R

asmussen

....... Writer/P

hotographer

MA

ZIN

A’IG

AN

(Talking Paper) is a quarterly publi-

cation of the Great L

akes Indian Fish & W

ildlife Com

mis-

sion, which represents eleven O

jibwe tribes in M

ichigan,M

innesota and Wisconsin.

Subscriptions to the paper are free. Write: M

AZ

INA

-’IG

AN

, P.O. B

ox 9, Odanah, W

I 54861, phone (715) 682-6619, e-m

ail: pio@glifw

c.org. Please be sure and keep us

MA

ZIN

A’IG

AN

STA

FF

:(P

ronounced Muh zin ah’ igun)

NO

N P

RO

FIT

OR

GP

OST

AG

E P

AID

PE

RM

IT # 203

EA

U C

LA

IRE

, WI

Printed by: E

AU

CL

AIR

E P

RE

SS CO

MP

AN

Y, E

AU

CL

AIR

E, W

I 54701

RE

TU

RN

AD

DR

ESS:

GL

IFW

CP

.O. B

OX

9O

DA

NA

H, W

I 54861

informed if you are planning to m

ove or have recently moved

so we can keep our m

ailing list up to date.M

AZ

INA

’IGA

N reserves the right to edit any letters or

materials contributed for publication as w

ell as the right torefuse to print subm

issions at the discretion of the editor.L

etters to the editor and guest editorials are welcom

ed byM

AZ

INA

’IGA

N. W

e like to hear from our readership. T

heright to edit or refuse to print, how

ever, is maintained. A

llletters to the editor should be w

ithin a 300 word lim

it.L

etters to the editor or submitted editorials do not neces-

sarily reflect the opinion of GL

IFWC

.For m

ore information see our w

ebsite at:ww

w.glifw

c.org.

˘

AD

DR

ESS SE

RV

ICE

RE

QU

EST

ED

Ziigw

an 2005

BIB

OO

N 2005-06