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| Seth Eastman, detail Spearing Fish in Winter. 1868, oil on canvas. U.S. Capitol. |
Adapted from "Harvesting Wisconsin Waters: Native-American Fishing Traditions," an exhibition at the Wisconsin State Historical Museum, Madison, 1997.
Spearing through ice is one of the oldest and most ingenious fishing methods of the Native peoples of Wisconsin.
On some Western Great Lakes reservations, including that of the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe in northern Wisconsin, people have continued winter spearing to the present day and have retained many traditional methods. In other places, winter spearing continues, but with many modern supplies, materials, and techniques. In still other areas, especially those lacking the right fish resources, people have abandoned winter spearing. In Wisconsin, pike, sturgeon, perch, trout, and muskies have been among the popular winter game fish.
In conventional practice, fishermen lower fish-shaped decoys into holes cut through the surface of a frozen lake. The fisherman lies flat on the ice, covered by a dark tipi, and readies his spear to stab the approaching prey.
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| Ice skimmer used by Ojibwe fisherman Duane Poupart, Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin. Catalog #1997.55.14. |
Preparing the Fishing Hole
Traditionally, the preparation of a fishing hole has involved the transportation
of tools and supplies out onto the frozen lake by sled, the clearing of
deep snow from the fishing site with a shovel, the cutting of the hole
itself, and the removal of chunks of cut ice with a skimmer.
For centuries Native peoples have relied on chisels to cut holes in ice for winter fishing. From the fur trade era to the mid-twentieth century, ice chisels came in a variety of shapes and sizes, including those with wide and narrow blades. Early blades were made of native copper and later blades were made of iron. Today, fishermen use homemade or manufactured metal chisels or employ gas-powered ice augers instead.
Spearing Tents
Native peoples used two types of spearing tents before the early 1900s.
One type was seven-feet tall and allowed the fisherman to sit down with
a long-handled spear extending outside the framework of the tent. The
second type, still used today, is a crawl-in type which covers about two-thirds
of the fisherman's prone body. It is designed for use with a short-handled
spear.
The tent is often erected the day before fishing to allow the stakes to freeze into the holes cut into the ice for them. The frame or stakes generally are made of slightly bowed alder. Fresh-cut balsam branches are laid around the hole for warmth and comfort. The frame and branches sometimes are covered with canvas or blankets. The branches and the covering on the frame help reduce unwanted light and glare in the hole so that fish are not aware of the presence of the fisherman.
On some reservations, Native fishermen have replaced tents with stove-heated shanties.
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| Head of a spear used by Duane Poupart for muskellunge spearing, 1989-1995. Catalog #1997.55.8. |
Winter Spears
Today's custom-made spears usually have three to five tines. The handle
of the spear is a hollow iron pipe often poured with lead to give the
spear the correct weight. Spears range in length from three to four feet.
The spear often is tied to a tent pole with a rope for security.
Fish Decoys
The manufacture of handmade, wooden fish decoys is a time-honored craft
in those Native communities where traditional winter spearing prevails,
and each community has developed its own unique style of decoy carving
and decoration.
Fish decoys usually are made from local woods, with basswood being most popular at Lac du Flambeau. They are made to simulate most anything that might make a meal for a game fish, including frogs, birds, muskrats, local bait fish, and the young of local game fish.
The making of a fish decoy requires a great amount of care and precision. The curve of the tail must allow the decoy to swim accurately and its weight must ensure proper flotation. Despite the exacting detail required the tools needed to make decoys are relatively simple and may be found in most home shops.
Decoy carvers make both finished decoys and kits. Kits allow fishermen to finish their decoys according to their own needs and tastes.
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| Trout decoy and jigging stick made by Ojibwe artist John V. Snow, Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin. Catalog #1996.118.105a-b. |
