Gun Lake Tribe is dedicated to the restoration of nmé, or lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), in West Michigan. These fish are culturally linked to Native Americans and are known as the king of the fishes. Nmé clan members share many characteristics of the fish including long life, slow and deliberate movement and being very knowledgeable. Clan members serve as the spiritual advisors and mediators for the Tribe and are sought out for their wisdom. Pottawatomi food caches in the lower reaches of the Kalamazoo River were rich with nmé fragments (Barr 1979 as cited in Wesley 2005). Native Americans had great respect for the fish and used all parts of the nmé. The tribal approach to sustainable management of resources is to recognize the impact that current actions will have on the next seven generations. The long life of the nmé requires management of resources with this forward-looking approach.
Nmé rehabilitation is a multi-agency project working toward self-sustaining populations of Kalamazoo River and Grand River nmé. Including these two, there are 11 nmé populations remaining in the Lake Michigan Drainage. The Tribe has worked with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Grand Valley State University on rehabilitation efforts since 2009. Tribal staff have led rehabilitation efforts since 2015. Rehabilitation efforts are funded by the Tribe, FWS and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Nmé (lake sturgeon) rehabilitation is a critical effort for the Tribe, as the Kalamazoo River and Grand River nmé populations are in danger of falling below the minimum viable population level. Minimum viable population has been estimated at 80 individuals by the State of Michigan. The MDNR estimated the Kalamazoo River nmé population at 88 fish and the Grand River population at 103 individuals (Hayes and Caroffino 2012). These populations are well below the recommended population size of at least 750 mature adults (Welsh et al. 2010).
The Tribe’s rehabilitation efforts works towards the ultimate goal of rehabilitation of the Kalamazoo River nmé to a self-sustaining population. The Tribe will continue to increase its capacity to coordinate and lead the Kalamazoo River and Grand River nmé rehabilitation. The Tribe is actively working on four main objectives which support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Focus Area 4, Habitats and Species: Great Lakes Tribal Species Protection and Restoration. The project will maintain, restore and enhance populations of native species, promoting a population of GLRI-targeted native non-threatened and non-endangered species self-sustaining in the wild.
- Monitor the Kalamazoo River and Grand River nmé populations
- Identify and map critical habitat for different life stages of nmé
- Analyze the genetics of the nmé populations
- Operate the nmé rearing facility
