The Isle Royale Folkefiskerisamfunn: Familier Som Levde Av Fiske
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THE ISLE ROYALE FOLKEFISKERISAMFUNN: FAMILIER SOM LEVDE AV FISKE An Ethnohistory of the Scandinavian Folk Fishermen of Isle Royale National Park Prepared for The National Park Service Midwest Regional Office and Isle Royale National Park By Rebecca S. Toupal Richard W. Stoffle M. Nieves Zedeño January 22, 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE...................................................................................................................... viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................... ix CHAPTER ONE: Study Overview............................................................................... 1 List of Participants ............................................................................................ 2 Schedule of Activities....................................................................................... 3 Structure of the Research.................................................................................. 3 Archival Review ............................................................................................... 3 Oral Histories.................................................................................................... 5 Context of the Report........................................................................................ 5 On-Site Visits.................................................................................................... 9 Analysis and Write-Up ..................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER TWO: Research Methods .......................................................................... 11 Archival Review ............................................................................................... 11 Oral History Coding.......................................................................................... 12 On-Site Visit ..................................................................................................... 13 Method for Place Studies...................................................................... 14 Method for Cultural Landscape Studies ............................................... 15 Analysis and Write-Up ..................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER THREE: The History of “Commercial” Fishing at Isle Royale ................ 17 Pre-History to 1880........................................................................................... 18 1880 to 1940: Establishing a Scandinavian Folk Fishery................................. 26 1940 to the Present: Political and Biological Impacts ...................................... 37 Establishment of Isle Royale National Park ......................................... 37 Dangerous Exotics: Smelt, Ale Wives, and Sea Lampreys .................. 41 Michigan DNR Assessment Regulations.............................................. 43 CHAPTER FOUR: Knowledge and Use of the Environment by Scandinavian Folk Fishermen at Isle Royale............................................................................................... 45 Natural Resources ............................................................................................. 47 Plants..................................................................................................... 47 Trees.......................................................................................... 47 Shrubs ....................................................................................... 48 Other Island Plants.................................................................... 49 Gardens ..................................................................................... 49 Current Conditions and Recommendations .............................. 50 Animals................................................................................................. 51 Birds.......................................................................................... 52 Small Animals........................................................................... 53 Large Animals........................................................................... 56 Current Conditions and Recommendations .............................. 59 i Fish........................................................................................................ 60 Fishing Knowledge ................................................................... 60 The Isle Royale Fishery ............................................................ 62 The Fishing System................................................................... 62 The Fish Species and Ecology.................................................. 66 Current Conditions and Recommendations .............................. 79 Water..................................................................................................... 81 Current Conditions and Recommendations .............................. 84 Climate and Weather............................................................................. 84 Topography........................................................................................... 88 Surface Features........................................................................ 89 Current Conditions and Recommendations .................. 91 Subsurface Features .................................................................. 93 Current Conditions and Recommendations .................. 95 Historic Resources ............................................................................................ 95 Conservation Ethic............................................................................................ 101 CHAPTER FIVE: Cultural Places of the Scandinavian Folk Fishers of Isle Royale... 105 On-site Fish Camp Descriptions....................................................................... 109 Edisen Fishery....................................................................................... 109 Fisherman’s Home................................................................................ 114 Hay Bay ................................................................................................ 120 Johnson Island....................................................................................... 126 Johnson’s Resort ................................................................................... 132 Little Boat Harbor................................................................................. 137 Scotland-Anderson................................................................................ 144 Star Island ............................................................................................. 147 Tobin Harbor......................................................................................... 150 Vodrey Harbor ...................................................................................... 154 Washington Island ................................................................................ 156 Wright’s Island...................................................................................... 165 CHAPTER SIX: Cultural Landscapes of the Scandinavian Folk Fishers of Isle Royale ........................................................................................................................... 171 History and Characterization of the Cultural Landscape.................................. 173 Landscape Responses........................................................................................ 176 The Persistence of the Cultural Landscape....................................................... 198 CHAPTER SEVEN: Recommendations for the Future of Scandinavian Folk Fishing........................................................................................................................... 201 Environmental Ethics........................................................................................ 204 Negative Impacts to the Fishery ....................................................................... 204 Behavior Changes in Response to Perceived Resource Needs......................... 205 Transfer of Knowledge within Fishing Families .............................................. 205 Respondents’ Comments .................................................................................. 206 Recommendations for Interpretation of the Scandinavian Folk Fishing Cultural Landscape ........................................................................................... 214 BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................................... 219 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................. 239 ii A: Oral Histories by Subject..............................................................................239 B: Kinship Charts...............................................................................................258 C: Overview Form .............................................................................................276 D: Landscape Form............................................................................................295 E: Site Form .......................................................................................................308 iii TABLES, QUESTIONS, FIGURES TABLES Table 1.1 Consultants ...............................................................................................