Note of clarification: The Columbia watershed is home to, and utilized by, many different tribes. The tribes referenced in the section on the 1855 treaties (beginning at 08:13) are the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Yakama. These are also the tribes the make up the Columbia River Intertribal Fishing Commission.

Salmon was the original superabundant food of the Pacific Northwest.

Seasonal and massive in scale, the salmon runs up the Columbia River and its tributaries unleashed nutritional, ecological and material wealth, helping to build Indigenous nations which in turn learned how to sustainably manage this resource for millennia.

But this ancient story of salmon was disrupted by the arrival of western settlers, overfishing and dams. Now, despite monumental efforts, salmon is endangered while remaining crucial to the cultures it spawned.

“Superabundant” meets with the region’s present-day salmon stewards: Indigenous fishers, traders and scientists who have adapted and still hold the key to bringing the fish back.

Chapters:
0:05 Salmon story from Warm Spring Tribal Council
0:54 Salmon fishers
2:00 Fillet salmon for wind drying
3:30 History of salmon in the Pacific Northwest
4:13 Indigenous salmon origin story
5:14 Columbia river history with salmon
5:37 How dams impact salmon migration
6:47 The important role of the Columbia river for Pacific Ocean salmon
7:30 Salmon King store
8:10 The Treat with the Confederate Tribes and bands of Middle Oregon
9:17 Tribal work to protect salmon
10:36 Don't cook when you're mad

This is the sixth and final episode of season one of OPB's new video series on food and food systems in the Pacific Northwest, "Superabundant." Check out our previous episodes on honey, sea urchin, wheat and Oregon truffles.

Be sure to subscribe to catch future episodes.

More at www.opb.org/show/superabundant.

Subscribe to our channel for new OPB videos every week: https://www.youtube.com/opb?sub_confi...

Featuring:
Brigette McConville, Owner, Salmon King (https://salmonkingfisheries.com/), Vice Chair, Warm Springs Tribal Council
Sean McConville, Tribal Fisherman
Zachary Penney, Fishery Science Department Manager, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
Bobby Mercier, Language and Cultural Specialist, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Credits:
Created by Arya Surowidjojo and MacGregor Campbell
Camera: Stephani Gordon, Arya Surowidjojo, Todd Sonflieth, MacGregor Campbell
Narrator: Crystal Ligori
Audio: Steven Vaughn Kray

Executive Producer: Jan Boyd
Food Advisors: Sarah Masoni and Heather Arndt Anderson

Sponsored by North Coast Food Trail

Supported by Kay Kitagawa and Andy Johnson-Laird

Thank you to the members of OPB. To become a member, visit www.opb.org.


#OPB #superabundant #PNWsalmon #salmonpeople