This week on SAMAQAN
Net laid out at the Preachers Eddy, Columbia River |
Every year the salmon come back is a song composed and a
print design of my good friend, Master Haida artist Robert Davidson, Guud San
Glans and also known as Eagle of the Dawn. Each year the harvesting of salmon
is a ritual in many first nations communities across Turtle Island and Robert
has done his part to honor the food source. Human and salmon are intertwined.
Klickitat Falls 2011 |
In the first season of SAMAQAN we produced a story about the
Columbia River fishery and how the tribes negotiated a treaty for salmon harvesting.
The Columbia River is also used for hydro electricity and irrigation for the US
Midwest. When a dozen dams were built in the mid-late 1950’s, the harnessing of
water for energy robbed Canada of an important resource. The salmon could not
swim past the largest three dams. 1000 miles of spawning beds, all of them in
Canada, were left high and dry.
The historic fishing mecca, Celilo Falls near the Dalles
dam, was inundated in 1957. The flooding of Kettle Falls when the Grand Coulee
was built in 1940 preceded that. This
directly affected the people of the Okanagan Lakes area and our friends Tracey
Kim Bonneau and her family. We spoke to Jeanette Armstrong in Penticton where
the salmon are attempting a revival of some species.
Although our people harvested salmon in many ways one of the
most common modern day methods advocates the use of nets. Nets are used in a
variety of ways. In ancient times people used natural fluctuations in water
levels. Low tide weirs were common. And throughout the stretch of human
development first nations have developed right along with everyone else. Today
first nations are an integral part of commercial fishing. Special harvesting
rights are entrenched in federal laws.
Adams River run photo by Ramsay Bourquin |
Adams River run photo by Ramsay Bourquin |
This week’s episode of SAMAQAN is homage to the mighty
resources of the Pacific Northwest, the Sockeye. In 2010 the famous Adams River
Sockeye run returned with higher than expected numbers. The annual run peaks
every four years and in 2014 the run is expected to equal the numbers of 2010.
SAMAQAN has been holding on to most of the footage we gathered at the 2010 run
until today. In tonight’s episode and throughout our website you will finds
signs of the salmon.
To the artists, the fishing professionals and to the
customary users of salmon we are very grateful for all that has been shared
with the SAMAQAN crew. Of utmost importance is the way we use salmon. We store
it in bottles, freeze filets and smoke most of our annual harvest. We try to
make sure that there is a year’s supply, but never take more than we need. The
entire crew of SAMAQAN is like this. Almost all of us were raised with salmon
in our diets. We raise our hands to Every Year The Salmon Come Back.