Tribal Treaty Fishing Forum

DULUTH, Minn.- Tonight, Ojibwe Tribal leaders are educating the public about treaty rights for anglers this fishing season. The Great Lakes Indian Fishing and Wildlife Commission. It’s part of the Great Lakes Indian Fishing and Wildlife Commission’s goals.

The biggest takeaway from today’s meetings with the public was to prevent false information about treaty fishing.

Kevin Dupuis, Fond du Lac Chairman stated “with the education piece today, and the conversations, the understanding of we aren’t just taking fish, the fish that we take we monitor each and every one of them. We weigh, measure and sex each one of the fish”.

It’s an opportunity to educate the public about the treaty and Ojibwe Tribes.

Jason Schlender, Vice Chairman at Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe mentioned that “its always a huge benefit when people understand a little bit more about what we do as Ojibwe people”.

There are so many types of ways to fish. Out on the ice, out on the water, or fly fishing, but one group uses baseball to add some more excitement to spear fishing.

Schlender said “whoever is up front, is the batter. You got three opportunities to harvest. And once you strike out you got to sit down and give up your spot to the next person that’s up”.

Today’s meeting stressed the need to get kids out of the house, and into nature.

Dupuis says “we need too ensure that our children are being taught this way of life. They understand the way of life. They know that they are part of it to be taught how to exercise it and we have the ability we just have to emphasize more on that and make sure that it happens”.

Next Friday, the Ojibwe will be hosting a picture contest along with a wild rice cook-off at the American Indian Community Housing Organization if you’d like more information on the Ojibwe Trial Treat Fishing.