Reflections
from the Ahnishinahbæótjibway (We, the People)
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WANTED: There is
an urgent need for volunteers and donated equipment for the Anishinabe
Maanashigan Project. Ojibway Indians
and persons from the Red Lake Area are especially encouraged to apply,
although
we are an equal opportunity employer.
The most important criteria for volunteers are plenty of
enthusiasm and
physical agility. The Anishinabe
Maanashigan Project needs donations of a large tank with oxygenator and
temperature control, and a 3-ton truck capable of hauling the tank and
equipment. Also needed are a boat and
motor, and a fish-trap and nets for handling fingerlings.
The
goal of the Anishinabe Maanashigan Project is to share
with less fortunate persons off of Red Lake Indian Reservation. Due to the extensive stocking programs and
efficient management of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,
the
Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Bureau, and the Army Corps of
Engineers, we at Red Lake have been blessed with an overabundance of an
introduced species, Solver Bass, colloquially known as “Sheephead.”
The
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has been using
Red Lake spawn and the facilities of the Red Lake Hatchery to stock
numerous
Minnesota lakes with Red Lake Walleye, Red Lake Northern Pike and Red
Lake
Muskies for many years. We do not want
to discriminate against our neighbors, and in the Indian way will share
our
good fortune in Sheephead with White fishermen and tourists. The Anishinabe Maanashigan Project will
stock Minnesota lakes with ample Silver Bass.
These
fish are delicious eating—we have included a few
recipes below—but we must caution newcomers to this delicacy that
Silver Bass
are extremely susceptible to accumulations of PCB’s and Mercury. We urge all Northern Minnesota Whites to
contact your elected representatives and the Minnesota DNR to assure
the purity
of your lakes and groundwater, and to make sure that your area does not
receive
acid rain, which leeches mercury and other toxic materials into lake
water. The Red Lake Indian people are
pleased with
the opportunity to stock your lakes for you, but we will not be
responsible for
the consequences of the White man’s pollution.
We
should also like to caution “sportsfishermen,”
particularly “jocks” who like to “catch and release,” that the Silver
Bass is
not a fighting fish. The Silver Bass is
a gourmet fish who will eagerly follow your bait and jump into your
boat. If your frying pan is close enough
to the
water, he may even leap into the frying pan!
To
our deep regret, Red Lake Indians cannot share our bounty
of Silver Bass with off-reservation persons through normal commercial
channels. Under Title 25 of the United
States Statutes, we cannot sell these excellent fish for any price off
of the
Reservation, nor can we even donate them to the needy.
Under present statutes, we are forced to
either bury our bountiful catches of Silver Bass, return them to the
lake, or
upon occasion sell a gourmet delicacy for two cents a pound as animal
food. This is contrary to our Indian
values but is
forced on us by White legislators.
Although Title 25 Statues may change at any time due to
bureaucratic
whim, we would like to assure our friends and neighbors of a permanent
and
reliable supply of Silver Bass. We will
stock every lake in Minnesota that has ever received Red Lake spawn,
minnows,
or fingerlings—as well as any other lake that requests stocking—with
sufficient
Silver Bass to assure the same ratio of Silver Bass to all other fish
that we
are endowed with in Red Lake itself: fifteen pounds of Silver Bass to
one pound
of other fish.
We
are including with this article a few recipes to introduce
you to this delicacy. A recipe booklet
containing twenty-five delicious Silver Bass recipes can be bought at
the
address below for five dollars. The
Silver Bass is a very versatile fish, and can also be used in
traditional
European recipes, including Lutefisk.
Volunteers
and donations of equipment, please also contact
the address below.
May
you rejoice, and enjoy your abundance of Sheephead!
Happy fishing and happy eating.
The
Anishinabe
Maanashigan Committee
Department S
The Ojibway News
P.O. Box 903
Bemidji, MN 56601
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