Big Abe LeBlanc in front of the truck he used to deliver fresh fish to customers. Courtesy: Whitney Gravelle
Editor's note: Rural Innovation Exchange has partnered with Interlochen Public Radio to share occasional news coverage in rural Northern Michigan.
One calm September morning in 1971, Big Abe LeBlanc got ready to go fishing on Lake Superior.
This was something he often did in secret, under the cover of darkness, hiding from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
But on this particular day, Big Abe called the DNR before he left.
“I just remember him saying that, you know, ‘This is where I'll be, and if you want me, come get me,’” said his son, Sonny LeBlanc.
It was 1971. And Big Abe, who’s Ojibwe, was preemptively turning himself in for two crimes, at least according to Michigan law. The first crime: commercial fishing without a license. The second: fishing with illegal equipment.
After Big Abe hung up, he went out on the lake, set his nets and waited for the officers to come. What happened next changed fishing in the Great Lakes forever.
To hear the full story, go to the
Points North episode. You can also listen on
Spotify.
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