The Cook County Historical Society, along with the Historical Alliance of Cook County, will be showing parts 1-3 of the film Lost But Not Forgotten: A History of Commercial Fishing on Minnesota's North Shore and Isle Royale on Sunday, March 10 at the ACA. The film was created by Fred Dudderar, NorthPoint Productions, Duluth, Minnesota.
Attendees are welcome to view the whole film, or come and go for certain parts during intermission. Admission is free.
Part I - 2:00-2:35
(Intermission)
Part II - 2:45 - 4:00
(Intermission)
Part III - 4:15 - 5:30
About Lost But Not Forgotten
Part One
Chapter One: Lost But Not Forgotten. An introduction to the film.
Chapter Two: The American Fur Company Fishing Experiment. An exploration of the commercial fishing efforts on the North Shore and Isle Royale undertaken in the early 1800s by the American Fur Company.
Chapter Three: Ojibwe. The story of how land on the North Shore and Isle Royale was appropriated by the United States government from the Lake Superior Ojibwe people.
Part Two
Chapter Four: A New Scandinavia. The story of Norwegian and Swedish immigration to the North Shore and Isle Royale.
Chapter Five: A Fish House Every Half Mile. The story of the golden age of commercial fishing on the North Shore and Isle Royale, 1920-1940.
Chapter Six: Northwesterlies. Stories of the risks encountered by commercial fishermen as they fished from small boats on the largest freshwater lake in the world.
Part Three
Chapter Seven: The Collapse. The story of the collapse of the Lake Trout and Herring fisheries during the 1950s.
Chapter Eight: Recovery For Some. Exploration of the gradual recovery of the North Shore and Isle Royale fisheries and the emergence of the competing sport fishing industry.
Chapter Nine: An Uncertain Future. A discussion of what might be the future of commercial fishing on the North Shore and Isle Royale.
Partial List of Sources Included in the Film:
Cochrane, Timothy; Cochrane was superintendent at Grand Portage National Monument for twenty years, where he worked closely with the Grand Portage Band of Anishinaabeg and the tribal council. His books include A Good Boat Speaks for Itself: Isle Royale Fishermen and Their Boats and Gichi Bitobig, Grand Marais: Early Accounts of the Anishinaabeg and the North Shore Fur Trade, both from Minnesota, and Minong: The Good Place--Ojibwe and Isle Royale.
Dahl, Steve; Minnesota licensed Lake Superior fisherman fishing out of Knife River, MN; author of "Knife Island"
Goldsworthy, Corey; current Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Lake Superior Fisheries Supervisor; offices in French River.
Rau, Dan; Dan fished commercially for 16 years on Lake Superior and in Alaska, and later ran the University of Wisconsin-Superior research vessel LL Smith Jr for 12 years. While at UWS, he also taught math and astronomy, and participated extensively in environmental research with Lake Superior Research Institute, including on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sundew and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lake Guardian based in Milwaukee. Dan has twenty years of experience operating Kahlenberg marine engines similar to the model in the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor’s Center.
Schreiner, Don; From 1989 to 2014, Schreiner was the Lake Superior Fisheries Supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He now is employed part-time program leader by Minnesota Sea Grant. His extensive knowledge of Lake Superior fisheries, innovative fishery assessment methods, and skills at engaging people in public participation and planning processes was recognized throughout the Great Lakes community and has made him a valuable colleague and friend to many then and now. Don also worked closely with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and will continue to do so when opportunities to collaborate arise.
Sivertson, Stuart: Grandson of Sam and Theodora Sivertson, who immigrated from Norway in 1896 and established the Sivertson fish camp on Washington Isle at Isle Royale. Sam and Theodora’s son, Stanley, and his wife Clara, along with Stanley’s brother Art, and Art’s wife Myrtle, founded Sivertson Fisheries in Duluth in 1944, as well as the Grand Portage-Isle Royale Transportation company. Sivertson Fisheries was the last commercial fishing company in Duluth-Superior, closing in 2015. Stuart fished with his father at Isle Royale, then graduated from MIT and went on to a business career. Stuart’s daughter currently manages Grand Portage-Isle Royale Transportation Line.
Sivertson, Howard (Bud): another grandson of Sam and Theodora Sivertson, and son of Isle Royale fisherman Art Sivertson. Bud, who passed away in January of 2023, was a renowned watercolorist and founded the Sivertson Gallery in Duluth and Grand Marais. Author of "Once Upon an Isle, The Story of Fishing Families on Isle Royale”, and several other books of North Shore lore extensively illustrated.
Tofte, Brian: Local historian Brian Tofte is the grandson of the founders of Tofte, MN, and a collector of oral histories and images of retired Lake Superior fishermen, boats, structures, and families. Brian was one of the founding members of the Tofte Commercial Fishing Museum and is currently serving on the Cook County Historical Society board of directors.
Treuer, Anton; Dr. Anton Treuer is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and author of many books, including "Ojibwe In Minnesota." He has a B.A. from Princeton University and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He is Editor of the Oshkaabewis Native Journal, the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language. Dr. Treuer has presented all over the U.S. and Canada and in several foreign countries on Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, Cultural Competence & Equity, Strategies for Addressing the “Achievement” Gap, and Tribal Sovereignty, History, Language, and Culture."
Participating partners of the Historical Alliance of Cook County: North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum, Schroeder Area Historical Society, Gunflint Trail Historical Society, and Cook County Historical Society
