Anishinabek Nation gathers to share knowledge and strengthen relationships with mooz
By Carley Lambert
BAAWAATING (SAULT STE. MARIE) — The Anishinabek Nation hosted its 3rd Annual Mooz Maawanjiding (Moose Symposium) on September 1-2 in Baawaating, bringing together over 100 mooz (moose) advocates to reconnect participants with their relationship to the mooz, and gain a better understanding of the current population dynamics.
The symposium also provided an opportunity to learn more about management practices and how Western science is used to research mooz health.
The symposium opened with a prayer from Anishinabek Nation Getzidjig Council Member Mishoomis Leroy Dolson, who gave thanks for the animals, families, and all that Creator has provided.
Anishinabek Nation Northern Superior Regional Chief Melvin Hardy and Southeast Regional Chief Marsha Smoke provided welcoming remarks, emphasizing the importance of coming together to share knowledge and strengthen relationships.
Knowledge Keeper Perry McLeod-Shabogesic, citizen of Nipissing First Nation, spoke about the significance of mooz to Anishinabek people and culture, including the responsibilities that come with harvesting one.
“Their role is to not be here just for us, although it is part of that,” says McLeod-Shabogesic. “It is really important that we acknowledge them [as] more than just meat in our freezer, tools that we make, [or] clothing that we wear. That mooz has given its fire of life for us to continue our own fire.”
He also spoke about the need to reconsider how mooz are viewed and harvested.
“Colonization has tried to change our thought in this; it has tried to make us think of more of them as a commodity and some of us have fallen into that,” says McLeod-Shabogesic. “We go out and some of us will try to get as many mooz as we can—we’re not maybe as selective as we once were. We have to rethink that.”
The first day of the symposium also included a heartfelt session led by William Archibald of Moose Calling 101, who shared memories of growing up on the land with family, personal struggles, and demonstrations of calling techniques. This was followed by a lively Mooz Calling Competition. Of the eight participants, Thomas Marsden, a youth and citizen of Alderville First Nation, placed first, followed by Red Rock Indian Band Chief Allan Odawa Jr. in second, and Ryerson Whetung, citizen of Curve Lake First Nation, in third.
Scientific research and population monitoring were also key parts of Day 1. Joe Northrup, Wildlife Research Scientist with the Ministry of Natural Resources, shared an update on the Northern Ontario Moose Research Project, while Emilie Kissler, Northeast Regional Terrestrial Ecosystem Science Specialist with the Ministry of Natural Resources, presented the results of Ontario’s 2026 Moose Aerial Inventory Survey.
The symposium also featured interactive breakout sessions that taught participants about mooz population numbers, tag quotas, and harvest trends within their regions.
Day 2 continued with Dr. Jesse Popp, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Science at the University of Guelph, speaking about the importance of coming together for mooz relatives.
“The mooz need us now more than ever,” said Dr. Popp, emphasizing that the value of mooz extends beyond food, pointing to their role in teaching, social relationships, and cultural traditions. “Most people just see mooz as food, but it’s not just food. It’s more than food…It’s creating a circle of being; you’re getting the social aspects; you’re getting the value of the mooz far greater than any one person thinks.”
Following Dr. Popp’s presentations, Angela McEwan, Waab-Shke-Bii-Saa Consulting Environmental Scientist, spoke about mooz habitat and feeding grounds.
“We, as original peoples of this land, are all environmental scientists,” says McEwan. “We have this knowledge from our Ancestors that’s been handed down from generation after generation. We are the ones that know what is going on on this land. We know where there is something wrong, we know why, and we also have the solutions to remediate or mitigate it.”
McEwan discussed the impacts of climate change and crop dusting on our water life and how we can take care of it.
Day 2 also included updates from Neil Jones and Stefanie Recollet, representatives from Robinson Huron Waawiindamaagewin (RHW), on highlights from RHW’s 2026 Mooz Gathering. Adam Christensen, Red Rock Indian Band Lands and Resources Director, also presented on their community’s Moose Project, showing data from their mooz population and community hunts.
The gathering concluded with breakout sessions where participants discussed what they had heard over the two days, trends they are seeing within their communities and regions, and the priorities and concerns they have.
During closing remarks, Southeast Regional Chief Smoke reflected on the gathering.
“This is about more than mooz management; it is about our relationship with Creation, it is about food, it is about culture, it is about our inherent rights, and it is about our responsibility,” she stated. “It is about making sure generations coming behind us are never left with stories about how things used to be.”
The discussions throughout the two days returned to a common theme: protecting mooz requires more than monitoring populations and setting harvest numbers. It also requires maintaining relationships, sharing knowledge, and ensuring future generations understand the responsibilities that come with being connected to the land and the animals.