The Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan announced Thursday that it has released a smartphone app to help people safely consume fish from the Great Lakes.
The app, called the Gigiigoo’inaan “Our Fish” app, offers personalized recommendations for eating fish from lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior, inland lakes in northern Michigan and northern Minnesota, and store-bought fish. Recommendations are customized based on the user’s age, gender, size and life stage, as well as the portion of fish and the body of water it comes from.
Environmental pollutants such as mercury can enter the food chain and into fish, and then into people who eat those fish. Tribal governments, tribal natural resource groups and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issue guidelines for eating fish from specific local waters.
Tribal members retained the right to hunt, fish, and gather food on ceded lands in the Midwest in northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Environmental pollutants can threaten the health of these food resources. The app contains information on the 1,836 tribal ceded lands in northern Michigan and part of the Upper Peninsula.
“Fish are more than just a healthy food source for the Anishinaabe,” the council said in a press release on Thursday. “Treasured fishing traditions are threatened by environmental risks.”
The app was developed by representatives from five tribes – Bay Mills Indian Community, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
The Our Fish app provides culturally adapted advice to help Anishinaabe people choose fish species and waters with lower levels of toxins. The information supports safe consumption of fish for people of all races, the council said.
The app also offers recipes and information about fish species. It does not collect any personal data from users.
The council tested the app in tribal communities in Michigan in 2019 and again last year. Users told the council they were more confident about their fish choices, ate more fish and now knew more about environmental and health issues.
The Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan is a nonprofit organization that represents the 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan. The council worked with the Medical College of Wisconsin to develop the app.
