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Why Salmon are Important
Reverence and honor accompany the prepation of salmon at the annual First
Salmon Feast at the Celilo Longhouse. This ceremony has been held at Celilo
for thousands of years, and continues to the present.
In the traditions of the Yakama, Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Nez Perce, the spirit of the salmon—Wy-kan-ush-mi Wa-kish-wit—is sacred life. The tribes believe that the salmon was created along with an ideal habitat in which to enjoy its existence and that for thousands of years the salmon unselfishly gave themselves for the physical and spiritutal sustenance of human beings. The salmon's abundance shaped the culture, religion, society, and even languages of the four tribes. The majority of calories that the Columbia Basin tribes consumed came from salmon, elevating the reverence that the tribes placed on this incredible gift. Their religions always thanked the Creator for the bounteous blessing of salmon; they also thanked the salmon for offering themselves as food for humans.
Although the salmon's spirit has not changed, the human spirit has. Today, the real world of the salmon is in total disarray. Their very existence and worth is being debated. The four tribes believe that human arrogance has brought the salmon to the brink of extinction. Rather than serving as a dignified cultural icon, the salmon is being redifined as a problem, as something that makes unacceptable the human laws designed to protect the environment. In their view, crude science and perilous politics have reduced the salmon to a struggling species living in a polluted and life-threatening home. The four Columbia River treaty tribes see themselves as the keepers of ancient truths and laws of nature, and as employing the depths of their hearts and the expanse of their minds to save the salmon. Respect and reverence for the perfection of creation are the foundation of their actions. Among these actions was the creation of the Spirit of the Salmon Fund, because the tribes knew that only by working together with agencies, foundations, and individuals could meaningful restoration and renewed respect for the salmon be brought to pass.
