Small-scale fishing is an important part of food sovereignty for many Indigenous communities throughout the world, building on traditional ecological knowledge and management practices. Fishing has been an essential element of the Batchewana First Nation’s sustenance, identity, and livelihood from time immemorial. Sharing these traditions through diverse mediums, including community-based and participatory film, can contribute to their continuance.

Lake Superior Our Helper: Stories from Batchewanaung Anishinabek Fisheries (2022, Batchewana First Nation) follows Chief Dean Sayers through a series of conversations with community members to reveal the cultural, political, and ecological relationships surrounding their fisheries. Inviting us on a journey of Lake Superior, the film shares the messages of Elders, youth, fishers, community leaders, and their visions for the future of Batchewana’s fisheries. It also documents how fishing has changed over time, conflicts with the Canadian state around management and regulation, principles of Indigenous law, and the culture and ceremony that are deeply embedded within fishing practices.

This event will feature an in-person screening of Lake Superior Our Helper, followed by a panel discussion.

The event will not be livestreamed.

The event is curated and moderated by Dr. Kristin Reynolds, Chair of Food Studies in the Schools for Public Engagement, and Mike Harrington, Director of Sustainability Engagement at the university-wide Tishman Environment and Design Center. It is hosted by the Food Studies Program and the Tishman Center and co-sponsored by the School of Media Studies and the Global Studies program in the Schools of Public Engagement. and is part of the Food Studies Program’s “Food, Art, and Social Justice” 2022-23 event series.

Health & Safety Information

Event guests and visitors must provide proof of up-to-date vaccination, including a booster when eligible. The following protocols will be in place to ensure a safe and healthy experience for everyone:

Masks must be worn in concert and lecture venues where events are held. Masks are encouraged and optional elsewhere indoors.

The New School has partnered with CLEAR to utilize Health Pass, an online tool that safely and simply verifies proof of COVID-19 vaccination. For detailed instructions on downloading and using CLEAR, visit the “Events and Gatherings” section on our Access to Campus page. Specific questions about using the CLEAR Health Pass to attend an on-campus event can be directed to the event organizer.

To ensure expedited event check-in, event guests should set up a CLEAR Health Pass account with proof of vaccination prior to the event.