FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 28, 2026
SHELBYVILLE, Mich., Aug. 28, 2026 – The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi (Gun Lake Tribe) will release 21 lake sturgeon into the Kalamazoo River (Gzigmezék Zibé) during its annual Nmé Celebration on Sept. 1 from 4 to 5 p.m. at New Richmond Bridge County Park in Fennville. Each year, hundreds of community members gather for the release of the fish, known as nmé in the Pottawatomi language. The fish were raised through the Tribe’s ongoing lake sturgeon rehabilitation program.
In April, the Tribe’s Environmental Department collected naturally fertilized eggs and larvae from the Kalamazoo River using egg mats and drift nets. The resulting nmések (young sturgeon) were raised throughout the summer at a streamside fish hatchery located at New Richmond Bridge County Park. The Kalamazoo River streamside facility pumps river water into the fish tanks, allowing the young fish to imprint on the Kalamazoo River where they will return to spawn over a decade later.
In addition to this year’s fish, the Tribe retained seven sturgeon from the 2025 season and raised them through the winter at Gun Lake Tribal Government offices. These fish have been tagged and will also be released, allowing researchers to track their movements throughout the Great Lakes and better understand this vulnerable stage of life. Streamside rearing of lake sturgeon on the Kalamazoo River started in 2011. This year, for the very first time, sturgeon raised in the hatchery in 2011 were recaptured as adults during their spawning migration, marking a huge milestone in the rehabilitation efforts.
Lake sturgeon were once abundant throughout the Great Lakes region but are now a threatened species across much of their historic range. These ancient fish can live up to 150 years, grow as long as 8 feet, and weigh as much as 300 pounds. They mature slowly, with males typically reaching reproductive age between their late teens and early twenties, and females requiring even longer. Historical overharvesting and barriers such as dams that restrict access to spawning habitat remain significant challenges to recovery efforts.
For the Gun Lake Tribe, sturgeon rehabilitation reflects a long-standing reciprocal relationship between the Neshnabék (Anishinaabe People) and nmé. Historically, sturgeon provided food and other resources to Tribal communities. Today, the Tribe supports the species through efforts aimed at rebuilding a healthy population in the Kalamazoo River. The Tribe regards nmé as a relative and honors the species as a clan animal known for its wisdom and longevity.
“The Tribal approach to sustainable management is to recognize the impact that our current actions have on the next seven generations,” said Liz Binoniemi-Smith, Environmental Director for the Gun Lake Tribe. “The long life of the sturgeon requires management with this forward-looking approach, and through careful conservation, we hope to support this animal that is so important culturally to the Neshnabék, as well as to the Great Lakes ecosystem.”
The public is invited to attend the free event, which will feature a welcome address by Tribal Council, performances by Tribal drum group Sharp Feather, and the release of the fish. The Gun Lake Tribe’s lake sturgeon rehabilitation program is conducted in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Grand Valley State University.
Contact: Cean Burgeson,
Public Information Director
(269) 397-1780 XT 1212
(269) 615-9269 (cell)
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About Gun Lake Tribe
The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi (Gun Lake Tribe) has a rich history in West Michigan and close connection to the land. The Bradley Indian Mission, located near Wayland, is the historic residential and cultural center point of the tribal community. The Tribe’s ancestors, and political predecessors, signed treaties with the United States government dating back to 1795. The Tribe was re-affirmed with federal recognition in 1999. For more information about the Tribe, visit https://gunlaketribe-nsn.gov/.
