It seems to happen every year. The start of spearing season stirs the debate for many sports fishermen in Wisconsin. While this age-old practice has been controversial since post-European contact occurred, Lac du Flambeau and the other Bands of Ojibwe have consistently exercised their hunting, fishing and gathering Treaty Rights since the 1837 Treaty. The Voigt Decision of 1983 affirmed those rights. In 1997, a three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal district court ruling, and that decision, known as the Mille Lacs Decision, was further upheld by a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that Ojibwe walleye harvesters are depleting the lakes. However, the facts don't support this belief.

The data collection, recording and monitoring of the past 30 years is a strict process, beginning each autumn and continuing through the spring spearing season. According to the Department of Natural Resources, there are 919 walleye lakes and 623 musky lakes in the Ceded Territory. Data shows the annual harvest by the Tribes is a fraction of the total walleye harvest from lakes in the Ceded Territory.

The DNR estimates sport anglers harvested between 260,000 and 300,000 walleyes from lakes declared for spearing in Ceded Territory between 2008 and 2012. Annual Tribal harvests are reported to be around 31,400, on average; approximately 157,000 over a five-year period.

The Tribes, along with Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) wardens and biologists, carefully monitor lake populations to assure safe harvesting will take place each spring. Every night, creel teams are posted at boat landings to carefully collect data including the number of individuals spearing, how many boats went out that night, and the number of permits given out. The creel teams also record the nightly catch report, which records the number of fish taken, as well as the sex and size of the fish.

Gerry Mann, Lac du Flambeau Fish and Game Department Clerk, has specific duties. Gerry names which lakes will be open for off-reservation spearing, and determines what the quota will be for each lake in order to complete the daily task of issuing permits for individuals on spearing teams. The permits state the number walleye and musky allowed for a particular lake, and are issued by the creel workers at the boat landings. At the end of the night, and the last boat is off the water, creel workers return to Mann's station. He enters all of the data received and sends it to the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC).

Some off reservation lakes have seen a decline in their walleye populations, which Mann explains can be attributed to several reasons including climate changes, pollution, the removal or disturbances of a fish habitat, or invasive fish that consume the fingerlings.

"See, we have a set quota in place and our quotas can go from 65% to 95%, and we usually stay under 95% but above 65%," Mann said. "So for every two years that we spear at the higher percentage, the numbers will then automatically go down after that. For instance, if last year the quota on a certain lake was 500, the quota would be reduced, down to like 180 the following year."

Since walleye are such a popular fish for sports anglers, the DNR, Tribes, GLIFWC and biologists are finding new ways to experiment with management techniques to help the walleye populations bounce back. The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) is an inter-tribal, co-management agency committed to the implementation of off-reservation treaty rights on behalf of its eleven Ojibwe member tribes.

Formed in 1984 and exercising authority specifically delegated by its member tribes, GLIFWC´s mission is to help ensure significant, off-reservation harvests while protecting the resources for generations to come. Inland Fisheries staff at GLIFWC conduct numerous fisheries surveys in the ceded territories of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. GLIFWC´s fisheries assessment crews typically conduct 15 to 20 spawning adult walleye population estimates every spring, and around 100 to 150 walleye recruitment surveys every fall.

Maintaining a healthy balance in the lakes fish population is tremendously beneficial and vital to the survival of our traditional custom of harvesting walleye for our families, as well as for non-tribal anglers.

Learn more at GLIFWC Data Reports.

This winter you may or may not have seen a group of people wading in the open water on the Fence Lake Channel, while ice was still about two feet thick on the lake itself. It may seem unusual to see people hanging out in the icy cold water outside of the annual New Year's Day polar bear plunges, but ice baths also known as cryotherapy have become quite the popular health trend lately.

Hi. My name is Julia Smith. I am a LDF Tribal member and employee of the LDF Public School. My cryo teammates are Anne Pertile, Joanne Wilichowski, and Patti Maine. They are also employees at the LDF Public School.

Cryotherapy is the use of cold temperatures for medical therapy. It has been used by athletes for years as a pain reliever. It can reduce inflammation and help with arthritic pain. Whole body cryotherapy can also help with mood disorders and be an immune system booster. When you are in the cold water, adrenalin, hormones and endorphins are released throughout the entire body. It is sometimes used to treat skin disorders; because cryotherapy can increase antioxidants in your body, which also reduces inflammation, which can cause many types of skin issues.

We call ourselves the LDF Cryo Team. The other three members started at the very beginning of February, and I started mid-February. I decided to try it after I did a little research on the benefits, and also to challenge myself. We try to go every day. We love going at the Thoroughfare Channel, but we have also went dipping at other places in the Northwoods. 

There are also a couple of groups in the Minocqua area that we are a part of. Usually someone will announce on Facebook a potential spot for that day’s swim. It is always recommended to not go completely alone. You never know exactly how your body may react to the cold each time. So always at least have one other person with you in case you need assistance. We usually stay in the water at least five minutes, but try not to go longer than 10 minutes. Most maximum benefits phase out after that time. Plus, you don’t want to stay in too long, where you actually put your body in a hypothermic state.

I have had multiple surgeries on my left knee and one on my right. I always have a certain level of pain, but since I have been dipping, it has most definitely helped with my level of pain.

We have already talked about going up to Lake Superior a couple times a week and also just continuing to utilize our waters around us. Many lakes have naturally colder areas. Some cold is better than no cold.

Definitely get neoprene socks for your feet. Feet don’t have any fat on them so the first time is always the hardest. I dipped three times before I had the neoprene socks. They are a game changer. I did it initially to challenge myself but I also enjoy the camaraderie and social aspect that I get from hanging out with my fellow cryo mates. If you try it once and don’t like it or feel it was too cold, I would challenge you to challenge yourself at least three more times before you give up. I find that I look forward to it every day. I like how the water feels and how it helps with my knee pain, and I like being able to do something natural.

Iris Carufel was recently hired as assistant director of the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) American Indian Learning Resource Center (AILRC). A member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and a descendant of the Ho-Chunk Nation and Flandreau Santee Dakota Sioux tribe, Carufel earned a bachelor’s degree in communication at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and most recently worked as coordinator of its Native American Center.

The mission of the AILRC is to increase the recruitment and retention of American Indian and Alaskan Native students while promoting a more culturally diverse campus environment. Rick Smith served as AILRC director for more than 30 years before retiring in January. Former Assistant Director Lea Carr worked at the center for 19 years before her retirement last September.

"We think she is an excellent fit for UMD and look forward to working with her."

Email clei-nako@ldftribe.com or call 715-588-4688

Use this link to register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KFFDRNC

Use this link to register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K3BP8PV

This webinar is part of Our Shared Future, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's ongoing effort to educate the campus and the broader community on the Ho-Chunk Nation, the eleven other First Nations within the borders of Wisconsin, and the history they share with the university.

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