An investigation into Saugeen Ojibway Nation-based ecological knowledge on the ciscoes (Coregonus spp.) of Lake Huron

Abstract

The ciscoes (Coregonus spp.) of Lake Huron are an enigmatic group of fish that have experienced declines in populations and a collapse of their ecological communities. Ciscoes are culturally and socio-economically important to the people of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) who have harvested them for sustenance and trade for generations. Declines in cisco populations have had significant impacts on the SON’s economy, culture, fishery, and food availability. This paper presents a community-based investigation into fish harvesters’ SON-based ecological knowledge (SONEK) to address SON concerns about the cisco fishery and contribute to cisco-specific knowledge gaps in Lake Huron. We conducted 19 semi-structured mapping interviews with past and present SON fish harvesters. Findings show that SONEK represented unique contributions that account for social and ecological perspectives. Cisco or lake herring (Coregonus artedi) was identified as an important historic food fish while chub (Coregonus spp.) comprised a significant component of the SON fishery from the 1990s to 2000s. A practical application of the SONEK was successful sampling that was conducted in 2019 which documented an undescribed form of lake herring. This success provides an example of the importance of Indigenous knowledge systems, like SONEK, in the stewardship of fisheries in the Great Lakes, ecological understanding, and informed decision-making. The approach of this research is currently being adapted to inform other research initiatives within the SON.