SAVING BUFFALO REEF
Buffalo Reef is a natural cobble feature in Lake Superior, located just off the eastern edge of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the U.P of Michigan. The reef has historically maintained invaluable spawning habitat for fish species such as lake trout and lake whitefish. These remarkable habitat features are threatened by the migrating stamp sands, produced by harmful mining activities beginning in the late 1800’s.
The treaty of 1842 or commonly known as the “Copper Treaty” ceded millions of acres of land to the United States in exchange for rights to hunt, fish, and gather within the ceded territory. Buffalo Reef has always been considered as culturally significant harvesting grounds for local tribal communities. Today’s challenge involving Tribal, State, Federal, and Academic partnerships combine efforts to mitigate damages and ultimately restore Buffalo Reef as the ecological resource that has sustained both tribal and non-tribal communities for generations.
Visit glifwc.org or the Michigan DNR for more information about Buffalo Reef restoration.
learning QUESTIONS
• Why was the treaty of 1842 known as the “Copper Treaty?”
• Why is the collaborative effort to restore and protect the Buffalo Reef significant and how could similar partnerships be used in the future?
• How are the different communities affected by the migrating stamp sands being impacted?
CREDITS
Director and Producer
Finn Ryan
Producer
Dylan Jennings
Cinematography
Mike Palzkill, Jason Whalen
Editing
Chris Zuker
Score
Sean Carey
Sound Mixing
Craig Eley
Special Thanks:
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
KBIC Department of Natural Resources
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Bill Mattes
Steve Casey
Paul Smith
US Army Corps of Engineers
Michigan Tech University
Keweenaw Charters
Aquanauts Scuba Club
PCI Dredging