The Native Nations Institute film Return of the Red Lake Walleye chronicles the extraordinary effort of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians working together with the State of Minnesota and the federal government to bring back the culturally vital walleye from the brink of extinction and restore it to health in Red Lake. It examines how the Band and State overcame decades of bad blood to forge an innovative public policy solution that puts cooperation before conflict and science before politics, fueling an amazing recovery that has defied the odds. A compelling example of tribal sovereignty in practice, Return of the Red Lake Walleye documents the significance of the walleye's return for the Red Lake community, its people, the tribe as a whole, and those generations yet to come.
Additional Information
NNI Films (in association with Arizona Public Media). "Ogaag bii azhe giiwewag: Return of the Red Lake Walleye" (trailer). Tucson, Arizona: Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy, University of Arizona. 2010.
Transcript
"It was their most important natural resource.
'They grew up doing this. They lived by the lake shores in the summertime.'
But it was on the brink of collapse.
'We weren't gonna have fish any longer if something wasn't done.'
Now thanks to determination and cooperation, it will provide for centuries to come.
'We learned a good lesson by what happened here. We need to show respect for that fish.'
Return of the Red Lake Walleye."
