These sticks mark the spots where people have ice holes they use for fishing.  These holes are about 40 feet apart and they are used for munucking (I don't know the actual spelling).  They lower a net into one of the holes then tie the other end of the net off at the other hole so it is like a net hanging from a ceiling under water. 

 When they pull the net up hopefully there will be some fish in it.  By the way, the people here have a hard time making the "sh" sound so when they say 'fish' it comes out sounding like 'fisss' which rhymes with miss.

This is just a dirty ice hole.