Overview

Lake Sturgeons are one of the oldest living species on Earth, and they are disappearing. These powerful water beings have survived for over 200 million years. But today, they face extinction due to hydroelectric development, habitat destruction, and the provincial government’s refusal to act. We are calling on the Government of Manitoba to immediately list Lake Sturgeon as endangered under the Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act (ESEA) and take bold action to protect their habitats, restore their spawning grounds, and respect the Indigenous laws that have long protected them. While this campaign calls specifically on the Manitoba government, its implications extend far beyond provincial borders. Lake Sturgeon are found across vast interconnected watersheds that flow across Turtle Island and beyond. Their disappearance in one region signals harm to many others. What happens to the sturgeon in Manitoba affects ecosystems, communities, and sacred waters across all four directions. This is a global responsibility.

Indigenous Knowledge & the Sturgeon

Some of our oldest relatives live in the deep, slow-moving waters of our rivers: the Lake Sturgeon.

They are sacred beings, respected by Indigenous Nations across Turtle Island as teachers, timekeepers, and carriers of story. For generations, they have guided our ceremonies, fed our families, and anchored our spiritual relationships with the water. They represent our long histories on these lands and water and are a part of our future. The Fish Dance honours their return. The Sturgeon Moon, Namebine-giizis, signals a time of connection and renewal. Their broth carries medicine. Their presence carries meaning.

Elders speak of a time when the rivers were full, when sturgeon were so plentiful that you could walk across their backs.  Today, their absence is felt not only in the water but also in our hearts and communities. As the sturgeon disappear, so too do the teachings they carry; so too does our ability to live in right relation with the waters that sustain us. The sturgeon is an indicator species, a protector of ecosystems and a mirror for the well-being of our people. When the sturgeon began to vanish, our waters changed. Our bodies changed. Our youth became disconnected from teachings that once flowed as freely as the river itself. 

Indigenous science must lead the protection of sturgeon. Our knowledge is not new. It is intergenerational, land-based, and guided by spiritual responsibility. We do not see sturgeon as a resource. We see them as kin. We do not manage them. We remember them. We care for them. And now, we rise to protect them.

Calls to Action

We will not stand by while our ancient relatives vanish. We demand action now.

We are calling on the Government of Manitoba to:

1. List Lake Sturgeon as endangered under the Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act immediately.
2. Protect sturgeon habitats, spawning routes, and river systems from hydro development and industrial disturbance.
3. Include Indigenous Nations, laws, and knowledge in all conservation planning and decision-making processes.
4. Uphold the inherent rights of sturgeon as sacred beings, not commodities.

Because power should never come at the cost of extinction!