'Nme Feast

Austen Brauker, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians in Entertainment. Discussion »

Black Lake, Michigan - Before starting this article, I would like to thank Gil Archambo. Without his expertise, help and knowledge of sturgeon, it would have been an incredibly more difficult task. I would also like to thank Jimmie Mitchell, Marty Holtgren and the staff of the Natural Resources Department for their help and guidance in making this special and honorable moment occur. I would also like to thank Victoria for letting me go fishing on our wedding night. You are certainly one in a million. I would like to thank the spirit of the 'nme and the Creator for bringing this wonderful gift to our tribe.

Midnight blue of Black Lake's frozen darkness shone through a clear rippled window that I now stood upon. There was no way to tell where the ice ended and liquid began, except for the tiny frozen bubbles, suspended in time, the only tell tale sign that this was not just an elegant sheet of glass that had been placed there by some master craftsman. Or was it?

I made my way to the thirty-footer, a shanty, one of a few that had not been blown to the opposite side of the lake in the wind the night before. I opened the door in amazement. As my eyes adjusted, the bright green lake surprised me. I peered into 21-feet of serene, surreal water. It was magical, a doorway into another world. The hole in the ice ran the entire length.

I sat in my chair and waited. Three decoys hung from the ceiling and dangled above the bottom. They were to attract the curious sturgeon to a spot directly beneath my feet where, with a heavy five pronged (very heavy) spear, I would attempt to connect with one of these magnificent dinosaurs. The first sturgeon came in slow and fluid, a dark shape against the brilliant bottom. It went toward the two foot long decoy, revealing that fish was somewhere in the neighborhood of five or six feet. I lifted the spear and pushed it toward the sturgeon. A blast of bubbles and mud clouded my vision momentarily as I hoped for a strike, but then, the dark shape swam away, an inch from my mark.

After another miss, shooting at an angle beneath the ice, I had to call it a day and go home empty handed. I went for two more full days after that, not to see another sturgeon again during that spearing season. I was not disappointed. The thrill of seeing such a graceful and powerful creature was its own reward.

At last year's sturgeon release, I was honored by being asked to say a few words about how I felt about the "grandfather" of fish. They were words that echoed the sentiments I had shared with documentary makers Kathy and Greg, who were doing a video about the sturgeon and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians' program. They learned that I was a musician and asked me to make a background score for their video work. I received the final video cut on Friday, May 13th, and finished the 22-minute soundtrack music that same day. The next morning, I got married and then spent the afternoon in a ceremonial lodge listening to teachings by the fire. That evening I drove to Black Lake and met Marty Holtgren, Stephanie Ogren and Gil Archambo at the boat launch. Here I was again, ready to try once more at bringing one of these beautiful fish home for my family and tribe.

The sun was setting as scarlet fire across the silhouette of the distant tree line. We asked with a gift of tobacco to be looked upon favorably by the creator. The anchor was set and the poles were cast. I was surprised that we only needed 20 lb. test, but Gil assured me that it would be fine. He loaded the worms on the single hook and handed me the pole, showing me how it was done.

It wasn't long before we had "fish on."

6 feet 1 inch, 108 lbs.

I was connected to the fish. The thin line bound us together. We fought for fifty minutes. My arms were like wet spaghetti. When was it going to tire? It began to come close to the boat and we shined the light to see its immense shape, gliding, almost glowing, with an eerie, grey-blue electricity, unlike anything I have ever seen. The fish was obviously not tired yet. It took another run, whizzing the reel as the sizzling drag gave it line. I worked the sturgeon back toward the boat, again and again. Each time it took off like a bullet. It swelled to the surface and breeched, almost completely out of the water, with its mouth straight at us. It did this three times total and was just as amazing each time it happened.

The sturgeon ended up weighing 108 lbs. and was 6 feet, 1 inch long. It was shared with the tribe and tribal employees at a community feast at the justice center. The sturgeon was donated to the Natural Resources Department to be mounted and used as a future teaching tool for their sturgeon program. This was a great honor and an event that brings the cycle full circle as people are able to share in its gift of life by being nourished with its energy. Though it is sad to take the life of such a marvelous creature, it brings us closer to the sturgeon. It makes us one with them and brings us into their medicine by joining together on the circle.

Thank you 'Nme. Thank you from the deepest place of respect within my heart.

Editor's Note: Periodically, the Native News Network publishes articles, essays, and guest commentaries. The article was contributed to the Native News Network by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. It is in the current issue of the tribe's the "Currents."

More Feast from the "Currents." below.

posted June 16, 2011 11:17 am et

From the "Currents"  Not rated yet
The 108 lb 'Nme (Sturgeon) caught by Austen Brauker on the 14th of May was the subject of a mini-feast out at the Justice Center later in the month....