The Crisis:

For over 200 million years, the Namao (Lake Sturgeon) has survived in Canada’s northern waterways. Known to First Nations as sacred kin, teachers, and carriers of story, the Namao is one of the oldest living species on Earth.

Since the construction of the Churchill River Diversion (CRD) in the 1970s, up to 95% of the Churchill River’s natural flow has been diverted to fuel downstream hydroelectric generation. This drastic environmental alteration destroyed spawning grounds, degraded water quality, and fractured sturgeon migratory routes. Today, the Namao population in the Churchill River faces imminent extinction.

Why Western Solutions Alone Fall Short

Female Lake Sturgeon take 15 to 20 years to mature and reproduce slowly. Restoring a population damaged by decades of flow diversion requires long-term commitment spanning generations. Short-term mitigation strategies and corporate studies are insufficient to reverse this ecological collapse.

Indigenous science and Traditional Knowledge must lead the protection of the Namao. As traditional stewards of the land and water, we at Tataskweyak Cree Nation (TCN) are leading the Save The Sturgeon campaign to fight for the survival of this ancient relative and restore the health of our shared waterways.

Calls To Action: 

We call on the Province of Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro, and the Federal Government of Canada to immediately take the following actions:

1. Recognize Tataskweyak Cree Nation and First Nations stewards as lead authority figures in all research, management, and conservation plans for Lake Sturgeon in the Churchill River system.
2. Re-examine water level management and flow allocations through the Missi Falls Control Structure to restore crucial spawning, rearing, and feeding habitats.
3. Implement binding provincial and federal species-at-risk protections that hold Manitoba Hydro accountable for habitat loss and environmental degradation caused by the Churchill River Diversion.
4. Secure permanent, long-term funding for Indigenous-led monitoring, restocking, and ecosystem restoration programs.

Because power should never come at the cost of extinction!