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Return to Nama'o Uskiwamit: The Importance of Sturgeon in Menominee Indian History
By David R Al Beck
ON April 17, 1993, the Menominee Indians ofWisconsin celebrated the return of the sturgeon to Nama'o Uskiwamit, or Sturgeon Spawning Place, the name the tribe has used for Keshena Falls on the Wolf River since before the creation of the Menominee Reservation in 1854. After several years of pressure from tribal members, and months of ne¬ gotiation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the state agreed to provide the Menominee with the sturgeon required for the renewal of this celebration, a part ofthe tribe's heri¬ tage dating to its earliest history, and to formulate and implement a plan for rein¬ troducing sturgeon, once an important basis of the Menominee economy, into Menominee waters.'
Author's notk: This article is based upon "The Importance of Sturgeon in Menominee History As Viewed Through Some Documentary Sources," a paper written for the Menominee Indian Conser\'a- tion Commission in Januan.', 1993. Portions of it also appear in the author's doctoral dissertation, "Siege and Sur\'ival: Menominee Responses to an Encroach- ingWorld" (University of Illinois al C>hicago, 1994). ' Newspaper articles discussing the 1993 celebra¬ tion and the process leading to the return of the sturgeon include front-page stories by Michael J. Boucher in the Shawano LeaderiorJanu'iiVy 29, 1993.
At that celebration, after the traditional opening ceremonies and welcomings, tribal elders and members spoke about the historical and cultural significance of sturgeon to the tribe. Recognition was given to the family which had continued to offer prayers and ceremonies to the sturgeon despite a century-long absence of the fish in tribal waters. The tribe's director of historic preservation, David J. Grignon (Nahwahquaw), led dancers in performing the Fish Dance. Afterward, the tribe fed nearly five hundred people, including tribal members, the negotia¬ tion team of the DNR, and outside visi¬ tors, in a feast that included sturgeon and wild rice.^ The cultural and historical sig¬ nificance of this event cannot be over¬ stated.
The Menominee have lived in Wiscon¬ sin longer than anyone else. Tradition¬ ally, they based their economy on the natural abundance of the forests and wa¬ terways which defined the landscape in the wake ofWisconsin's receding glaciers. This environment provided myriad food sources—various types of game, water-
- Y. M. Kaquatosh-Aragon, "Sturgeon Return to Keshena Falls," Menominee 'Lribal News, April 22, 1993.
32
Copyright © 1995 by the State Historical Society ofWisconsin All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
Object Description
| Title | Wisconsin magazine of history: Volume 79, number 1, autumn, 1995 |
| Article Title | Wisconsin magazine of history: Volume 79, number 1, autumn, 1995 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | State Historical Society of Wisconsin |
| Series | Wisconsin Magazine of History ; v. 79, no. 1 |
| Format-Digital | xml |
| Publisher-Electronic | Wisconsin Historical Society |
| Rights | © Copyright 2007 by the Wisconsin Historical Society (Madison, Wisconsin) |
| Publication Date-Electronic | 2007 |
| ISSN | 1943-7366 |
| Identifier-Digital | vol79no010000 |
| Description | This issue includes articles on rural Forest County in the 1920s and the importance of the sturgeon to the Menoninee people. |
| Volume | 079 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Year | 1995-1996 |
Description
| Title | 32 |
| Page Number | 32 |
| Article Title | Return to Namä'o Uskíwämît: the importance of Sturgeon in Menominee Indian history |
| Author | Beck, David, 1956- |
| Page type | Article home |
| Format-Digital | jpeg |
| Publisher-Electronic | Wisconsin Historical Society |
| Rights | © Copyright 2007 by the Wisconsin Historical Society (Madison, Wisconsin) |
| Publication Date-Electronic | 2007 |
| ISSN | 1943-7366 |
| Identifier-Digital | vol79no010034 |
| Description | Return to Namä'o Uskíwämît: Subtitled "The Importance of Sturgeon in Menominee Indian History" this article examines the role of sturgeon in Menominee culture. That fish served as a keystone of the tribe’s economy, even after the creation of the Menominee reservation in 1854, and has always played an important role in Metawin, their traditional religion. In 1993, following a century-long absence of the fish from tribal waters, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources agreed to reintroduce sturgeon into the Wolf River. On April 17th of that year the Menominee celebrated the return of the sturgeon to Namä'o Uskíwämît, or Sturgeon Spawning Place, their tribal name for Keshena Falls. (17 pages) |
| Volume | 079 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Year | 1995-1996 |
| State/Province | Wisconsin; |
| County | Menominee County; |
| Community | Keshena Falls; |
| Decade | 1670-1679; 1820-1829; 1830-1839; 1850-1859; 1910-1919; 1920-1929; 1930-1939; 1990-1999; |
| Subject | Native Americans; Menominee Indians; Indian reservations; Indians of North America—Religion; Fishing; Missionaries; Sturgeon fishing; |
| Full Text | Return to Nama'o Uskiwamit: The Importance of Sturgeon in Menominee Indian History By David R Al Beck ON April 17, 1993, the Menominee Indians ofWisconsin celebrated the return of the sturgeon to Nama'o Uskiwamit, or Sturgeon Spawning Place, the name the tribe has used for Keshena Falls on the Wolf River since before the creation of the Menominee Reservation in 1854. After several years of pressure from tribal members, and months of ne¬ gotiation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the state agreed to provide the Menominee with the sturgeon required for the renewal of this celebration, a part ofthe tribe's heri¬ tage dating to its earliest history, and to formulate and implement a plan for rein¬ troducing sturgeon, once an important basis of the Menominee economy, into Menominee waters.' Author's notk: This article is based upon "The Importance of Sturgeon in Menominee History As Viewed Through Some Documentary Sources" a paper written for the Menominee Indian Conser\'a- tion Commission in Januan.', 1993. Portions of it also appear in the author's doctoral dissertation, "Siege and Sur\'ival: Menominee Responses to an Encroach- ingWorld" (University of Illinois al C>hicago, 1994). ' Newspaper articles discussing the 1993 celebra¬ tion and the process leading to the return of the sturgeon include front-page stories by Michael J. Boucher in the Shawano LeaderiorJanu'iiVy 29, 1993. At that celebration, after the traditional opening ceremonies and welcomings, tribal elders and members spoke about the historical and cultural significance of sturgeon to the tribe. Recognition was given to the family which had continued to offer prayers and ceremonies to the sturgeon despite a century-long absence of the fish in tribal waters. The tribe's director of historic preservation, David J. Grignon (Nahwahquaw), led dancers in performing the Fish Dance. Afterward, the tribe fed nearly five hundred people, including tribal members, the negotia¬ tion team of the DNR, and outside visi¬ tors, in a feast that included sturgeon and wild rice.^ The cultural and historical sig¬ nificance of this event cannot be over¬ stated. The Menominee have lived in Wiscon¬ sin longer than anyone else. Tradition¬ ally, they based their economy on the natural abundance of the forests and wa¬ terways which defined the landscape in the wake ofWisconsin's receding glaciers. This environment provided myriad food sources—various types of game, water- - Y. M. Kaquatosh-Aragon, "Sturgeon Return to Keshena Falls" Menominee 'Lribal News, April 22, 1993. 32 Copyright © 1995 by the State Historical Society ofWisconsin All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. |