Ojibwe communities face climate threats to traditional spearfishing

Warming waters, erratic seasonal patterns and lakeshore development are threatening walleye populations and the Ojibwe practice of spring spearfishing, according to the Associated Press. On the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation in northern Wisconsin, tribal members are seeing firsthand the changes affecting fish reproduction and survival.

Brian Bisonette, director of The Lac Courte Oreilles Conservation Department, indicated that recent ecological shifts raise questions about what future generations will experience. Efforts to keep traditions alive include stocking lakes, limiting permits and documenting fish data. Tribal reliance on nature for food has inspired members to take action and continue fighting for spearfishing traditions. “That’s one thing for all Indigenous populations, they want to adapt,” Bisonette was quoted as saying.