Fishing

Fishing involves the whole village. Our culture depends on it. Women make nets; men set traps and weirs. Men build shacks and racks to smoke and dry the fish. In fall and winter, we fish near our village. In spring and summer, we fish with other villages. There almost always are enough to go around. We protect the fish because our life depends on them. We always let enough escape to start the next generation just as we always consider our grandchildren’s grandchildren. Reef nets, drift nets, gill nets, drag nets, scoop nets, dip nets, bag nets, fish traps, fish baskets, fall nets, gaffs, seins, spears, hooks and lines. Salmon are our life and breath, like fresh air, clean water. As the salmon return, return to their birthstreams, they give themselves freely to those who love them. We follow, like them, the seasons for they are our brothers and sisters.