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Salmon People Project

We are the Salmon People. It is our sacred responsibility to protect, restore, and give voice to the salmon. In this work, we honor our ancestors and fulfill our commitment to future generations. We hope to affirm the values of a fishing community and inspire them to continue fighting for salmon and the environment. Our work is a wake up call to families, community and government to do more to protect its most sacred ancestor -- the salmon.

The Children of the Setting Sun Productions (CSSP) is embarking on a journey to tell the story of the ancient bond between the Native people and salmon. Through storytelling, we will speak to the core issues at the heart of salmon decline: a disconnect, and therefore a disrespect for Mother Earth, fellow human beings, and ourselves. We will build awareness of how this disconnect has led to broken treaty promises and a devastating loss to Native Americans.

The Salmon People Project will make it clear the Coast Salish Tribes will forever fight for nothing less than the abundant return of salmon in their natural habitat and the complete restoration of the Salish Sea.

Key Components

Gatherings

Renewing the Spirit of the Salmon

We must first recognize spirit as the initial step for work of this magnitude. To do this, CSSP gathers the people to recognize Tribes and celebrate their fight to remove dams from rivers and restore salmon.

In October 2023, we hosted a celebration on Indigenous Peoples’ Day with ceremonial song and dance as well as inspiring speeches by Dr. Evan Adams and Santana Rabang.

In May 2023, Children of the Setting Sun hosted the 4th Annual Salmon People Gathering in collaboration with Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, United Auburn Indian Community, and Wilton Rancheria in Sacramento, CA.

A highlight of this event was the Women’s Circle, an opportunity for women representing 17 tribes from Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California to gather and share. This circle of storytelling and healing centered around the generations of advocacy movements women have led.

We look forward to our next Salmon People Gathering in Elwha in Spring 2024 to strengthen our bond and determination to save the salmon and Mother Earth.

 

Research

Building Understanding & Impact

Coast Salish Tribes are deeply impacted culturally and economically by salmon loss. This bond between the people and salmon extends back thousands of years and we need to understand what happens if that bond is broken.

CSSP will partner with Northwest Indian College, Western Washington University, and University of Minnesota to develop a Salmon People Research Project to inform and impact government policies, as well as to develop academic curriculum about the Salmon People.

The project will be a call for change and a plea to recognize the spirit of Indigenous knowledge that lies somewhere deep within us all. The research aspect of the Salmon People Project has several key benefits: 

  • Strengthen our unity as Salmon People - there is power in knowing that there are others who share your lifeway, your environment, the river.

  • Powerful opportunities to instill our history and culture in young people.

  • Develop an understanding of what needs to be done; share our view of gratitude and generosity; and provide an opportunity for spiritual awakening.

 

Documentary

Sharing Our Story

Inspired by the late Chexanexh Larry Kinley, an avid fisher and former Lummi Chairman, Scha'nexw Elhtal'nexw Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life is a 60-minute documentary for film festivals and PBS. It follows two fishing families as they navigate a depleted fishery and warming waters during sockeye season and looks back on Coast Salish led efforts to restore the wild salmon fish runs and the continual fight for a way of life. 

This documentary is a part of the Salmon People Stories, a collection of films that will help accelerate the work of Indigenous-led movements by highlighting Tribal communities advocacy through their history, culture, and values. This collection will bring to the world powerful stories, such as:

  • Yurok Tribe’s unfolding success story, as they use their sovereignty to undertake the largest dam removal in history along the Klamath River

  • Ongoing salmon recovery efforts along the Elwha River, 10 years after the removal of their dam

  • Life and times of the Chief of the historic Celilo Falls Village and his family, as they keep the spirit of the falls alive through their fishing practices and hold on to the hope of when the river runs free and Tribes can gather there to fish once again

  • Lummi Tribe’s history of self-determination and sovereignty and how it has set the stage for a possible way out of the threats to its way of life

“We need to have a paradigm shift; to me the paradigm shift is that we have to see the world as Indigenous people see it. It’s urgent that we empower Indigenous people everywhere and look to their leadership into the future.”

- Dr. David Suzuki

Goals

  • Share stories to build unity and inspire future Tribal Leaders to protect a way of life and restore our land, salmon and rivers.

  • Provide opportunities to share tribal perspectives and educate people about salmon’s central role in creating a healthy Salish Sea ecosystem.

  • Express Salmon People values in hopes of leading a cultural transformation towards gratitude and respect.

  • Magnify Indigenous voices in the fight to protect Mother Earth.

  • Meet our responsibilities to the 7th Generation.