We Are All Related to Nepēw
Detailed Description
This infographic explores some of the relationships between Menominee people, their non-human relatives, and nepēw with a focus on the impacts of environmental change.
Menominee Vocabulary
awāēhsāēh — black bear (Ursus americanus)
manōmaeh — wild rice (Zizania palustris)
mōs — moose (Alces americanus)
namāēh — American beaver (Castor canadensis)
namāēw — lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
nepēw — water
otāēciah — crane — sandhill crane (Grus canadensis)
sēqsep — duck — long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis)
Infographic Text Transcription
Center:
We are all related to nepēw.
Top left quadrant:
Mōhsok are susceptible to heat stress, diseases, and parasites that are increasing due to warming winters.
Mōs cool down and forage for food in wetlands, where manōmaeh also grows. The Mōs Clan is the protector of manōmaeh.
Top right quadrant:
Every spring, the Menominee people celebrate the return of namāēw with ceremonies and a traditional feast. Because a dam blocks the migration path, the Menominee people help namāēw cross the dam to return home.
Namǣwak are sensitive to changes in water temperature, which can disrupt the timing of their spring spawn.
Bottom right quadrant:
Sēqsepak migrate long distances between their summer breeding areas in the Arctic and one of their wintering territories in the Great Lakes. Their habitats are at risk from warming temperatures and development.
Sēqsep is a sub-clan of the Otāēciah Clan for the Menominee people.
Bottom left quadrant:
Namǣhkok are ecosystem engineers. They improve water quality by creating wetlands, which also serve as buffers against extreme events like flooding and wildfires.
Namǣh is a sub-clan of the Awāēhsāēh Clan for the Menominee people.
References
College of Menominee Nation, The Bear Clan - Speakers, The Crane Clan - Menominee Builders, and The Moose Clan - People of the Wild Rice, The Menominee Clans Story (n.d.). E. Fairfax et al., Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. 55, 323-345 (2024). GLIFWC Climate Change Team, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Version 2 (2023). H. Embke et al., U.S. Geological Survey, Open-File Report 2021-1104-E (2023). National Audubon Society, Long-tailed Duck, Guide to North American Birds (2025). S. Weiskopf et al., J. Wild. Manag. 83, 769-781 (2019).
Credits/Usage
This infographic is free to download and use with attribution to the College of Menominee Nation - Sustainable Development Institute (CMN-SDI).
Created and illustrated by Emerald Otradovec, CMN-SDI Intern, May 2025.
Mentored by Ally Scott, Deputy Midwest Tribal Resilience Liaison, and Sara Smith, Midwest Tribal Resilience Liaison.
Language shared by Jennifer Gauthier, CMN-SDI Director.
Funding provided by GLISA.
The content of this infographic cannot be fed into or used by any artificial intelligence program for any use whatsoever. Any violation of this infringes the copyrights held individually by the creative team (Otradovec, Scott, Smith, and Gauthier) and the institutions (College of Menominee Nation - Sustainable Development Institute and GLISA). All violations are an infringement on our creative work. This statement applies to any and all digital and physical copies of this infographic.
