Fishing the Rapids, Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Histoic Site

The Anishinabek have lived here for millennia. The Anishinabek gathered to harvest fish in the rapids, developing skills to access the fish in their turbulent natural environment.

In this 1901 photo there are eight canoes in the rapids of the St. Marys River, each with two fishermen inside. The fishermen are using traditional Anishinaabe methods, with the person in the back of the canoe steering while the person in the front of the canoe has a dip net for netting fish. The railroad bridge in the background is a reminder of the growing industry that was altering the lives of Indigenous peoples.

The St. Marys River rapids have been an important part of the Anishinaabe way of life for millenia. Connecting two Great Lakes, Superior and Huron, this stretch of shallow, fast moving water is the reason for building a lock system. The turbulent waters create force that is turned into electricity by local power plants, and the rapids continue to bring people together to fish and celebrate traditional Anishinaabe practices.

The Anishinabek chose to live in this area for several strategic reasons, one of them being the abundance of fish all year long. It was once said that you could walk across the river on the backs of whitefish. Although the ecosystems and fish population have changed drastically due to additions of various infrastructure and changes in landscape, fishing remains a popular activity along the rapids. You can observe people fishing here every month of the year.