Contacts:
Bazile Minogiizhigaabo Panek, Good Sky Guidance, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., (715) 209-0562
Abby Andrus, Dovetail Partners, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., (458) 245-1067
For immediate release
"Good" fire may return to Minnesota Point this spring
The trees on Minnesota Point tell the story. Since at least the last half of the 1700s through the mid-1800s, people periodically lit fires on the point to reduce brush and promote growth of plants like blueberries. Those people were the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) and their use of good fire, a powerful ancient practice, is evident in fire scars recorded within tree rings of the point's pines.
The fire scars were matched to calendar dates by researchers Evan Larson, Nisogaabokwe Melonee Montano, and a group of undergraduate researchers from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, in a project funded by Wisconsin Sea Grant. The researchers cut slices from dead pines and examined them for evidence of fire. The slices showed that fires burned across the area in a pattern too regular to be caused by lightning. Research in other areas of Anishinaabe territory, such as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Stockton Island in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, show similar patterns. On Minnesota Point, the last widespread fire was recorded in tree rings 180 years ago, in 1846.
Minnesota Point has changed since this use of cultural burning ("Ishkode" in Ojibwe) stopped when Anishinaabe were displaced from the point. Dead and downed trees have built up, which could lead to intense wildfires if not managed by clearing and small prescribed fires. Blueberries and gooseberries are scarce.
Only one red pine, which is fire dependent, has regenerated in the interior stand in the last 120 years due to a buildup of pine needles on the ground and lack of sunlight from the dense tree canopy. Culturally informed prescribed fire holds the potential to restore historical viewsheds, reduce invasive species, recycle nutrients, and help sun-loving native plants thrive.
City of Duluth Natural Resources Coordinator Kate Kubiak emphasized the city's responsibility to honor and help restore the point's legacy. "The care and effort that all of the partners are giving to this project is truly inspiring," said Kubiak. "Many of the city's forests, like Minnesota Point's, are fire-dependent systems that have been starved of this natural disturbance for decades. We are excited to see how this ecosystem responds, and to support the continued stewardship of this forest."
To bring Ishkode back to Minnesota Point in a safe manner, a group of representatives have been meeting for months to discuss strategies. They are from the sovereign Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the city of Duluth, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Point 50, the Park Point Community Club, Good Sky Guidance, Dovetail Partners, Ethical Embers, the University of Minnesota Cloquet Forestry Center, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Group members bring expertise in ecology, fire management, cultural stewardship, outreach and public land care. The project is called Azhe-Manidoo Mino-Ishkodeng Zhagawaamikong-Neyaashi: Returning the Spirit of Good Fire to Minnesota Point.
"For thousands of years, we managed our forests through fire. We have to break the mindset that fire is bad. It's not all bad. We need to humble ourselves before it and use it as a tool," said Vern Northrup, a member of the group and an Elder of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
"The Ishkode work is critical to advancing Minnesota Point 50's mission to ensure the long-term resilience of Minnesota Point. We are honored to be a part of this important collaborative team as fiscal agent, supporter and participant," said Pat Sterner, Board President of Minnesota Point 50 and a Park Point resident.
The Park Point Community Club also supports the project. "We are very excited and honored to work alongside partner organizations in returning cultural fire practices to the pine forest on Minnesota Point. Club members have worked to study and protect the valuable resources on this dynamic and unique landform for decades, and the forest is overgrown and in need of care and management. The Wisconsin Point burn last year was successful and we look forward to studying the positive results of returning prescribed burns on the Minnesota side of the channel," said Dawn Buck, president.
Given favorable weather conditions, the first burn is scheduled for this spring in Unit B on the attached map. This 17-acre area begins beyond the Sky Harbor Airport and the Pump House on Minnesota Point.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has a burn plan in place, which will account for things like wind direction to minimize smoke impacts on surrounding neighborhoods and communities. Weather data will also be taken during the fire, and conditions will be monitored before and during the burn to ensure community safety. The prescribed fire will be conducted by highly qualified and trained personnel. The trail through the Scientific and Natural Area and Duluth parkland on the point will be closed during and after the burn until the fire is declared out.
The public is invited to three free events to learn more about the project: Ojibwe Storytelling About Fire, March 5, 5 p.m. potluck; 6 pm storytelling, Lafayette Park Community Center, 3016 Minnesota Ave., Duluth. Speakers include Ricky Defoe, Nisogaabokwe Melonee Montano, Mark McConnell, Vern Northrup.
Burn Site Field Trip and Panel Discussion, March 7, 2-4 p.m. field trip, meet at Sky Harbor Airport, 5000 Minnesota Ave., Duluth. Panel discussion, 5-7 p.m., Lafayette Park Community Center, 3016 Minnesota Ave., Duluth. A livestream of the panel will be available, and a light meal will be provided courtesy of the Park Point resident community.
Estuarium Ishkode Exhibit Opening Celebration, March 27, 5-6:30 p.m., open house; 6:30-7:30 p.m. celebration, Lake Superior Estuarium, 3 Marina Dr., Barker's Island, Superior.
More information will be shared when details for the first cultural prescribed burn are set. This project is supported by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program.
#Minnesota Point 50 (MP50) is a community-led nonprofit organization established to shine a light on the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of Minnesota Point and to lead its partners in ensuring the long-term resilience of this national treasure.
