Our business. Our lives. Our history. They’re one and the same. After all, we’ve been fishing these waters for countless generations, and to us the Red Cliff Fish Company is more than a business. It’s a part of our community, a contributor to our vitality, and an investment in the future of our Tribe.
After nearly a decade of planning, the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa broke ground on the Red Cliff Fish Company processing facility in May of 2020 and is now open as of November 2020. Said Tribal Chairman Rick Peterson at the groundbreaking: “This is an historic milestone in furthering our community and food sovereignty goals,” one that enables the Tribe to achieve local food control, maximize the fisheries’ economic potential, preserve the commercial fishing tradition at Red Cliff, and nourish its community.
Who we are
The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
The Red Cliff Reservation extends along the tip of the Bayfield Peninsula, spanning 22 miles of Lake Superior shoreline in northern Wisconsin. Tribal offices and businesses, including the Red Cliff Fish Company, are located in the village of Red Cliff, three miles north of Bayfield, Wisconsin, near the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The Red Cliff Reservation was created through a series of treaties between the U.S. government and the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, though our people’s history here long predates the founding of the United States of America.
A sacred responsibility
Committed to sustainability
It’s more than just a word to us. Sustainability is part of who we are. We, and the generations who came before us, have relied on Lake Superior our entire lives, and we are invested in maintaining the health of this ecosystem for those to come. From fishing in a manner that protects the lake’s stocks, to using fish waste from our processing facility as fertilizer on Tribal farms, we take a holistic approach to maintaining harmony between nature and community. Indeed, the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa subscribes to the principle of “seventh generation stewardship,” which urges current generations to live and work for the benefit of the seventh generation into the future. But we think beyond that. Archeological evidence shows that the Great Lakes region has been home to Native Americans for thousands of years, and we plan on being here for thousands to come.
See Our StoryThe soul of the Ojibwe
Maintaining our heritage
The Red Cliff Fish Company continues our long legacy of fishing on Lake Superior – but that’s just part of the story. It also helps the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa remain a vital community with the resources to fulfill our mission “to promote, plan and provide for the health, welfare, education, environmental protection, cultural preservation and economic well-being of Tribal members and to protect Treaty Rights now and in the future.” Our home along the shores of this legendary lake is renowned for its pristine environment, rugged waters, wilderness areas, and unique scenic beauty. More than that, it is a spiritual and cultural crossroads which we have a sacred duty to nurture and protect.
