For many Indigenous and First Nations peoples among Northern Pacific latitudes, Pacific salmon are a fundamental part of cultural identity. Yet, populations of almost every Pacific salmon species continue to plummet.
About
Few species are as iconic as Pacific salmon. When considering their importance as a food source, their popularity as a recreational fishery, and they ways our natural systems rely on the immense nutrients deposited by their carcasses after spawning, it’s easy to see why their declines resonate across regions and latitudes. For certain First Nations peoples, including those on whose homelands many of us here in the Palouse reside, these declines are deeply felt.
Come celebrate the rich cultural heritage and environmental connections of these groups, and grow your appreciation of the significant roles many play in Pacific salmon restoration efforts. Increasing knowledge and awareness of the importance of salmon is key to building effective recovery efforts.
This is an educational event where we will serve prepared salmon for purchase and host educational talks about the importance of salmon and efforts to promote their persistence for future generations. The event is open to all and free to attend. We can’t wait to see you there!
Cash only for purchasing salmon. We are unable to accept card or cash app purchases. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Event Details
Date: April 29, 2023
Time: 12 pm - 5 pm
Location: Reaney Park, Pullman, WA
690 NE Reaney Way, Pullman, WA 99163
Cost to attend: Free
Cost of salmon: $5 / serving
Land Acknowledgement
Washington State University acknowledges that its locations statewide are on the homelands of Native peoples, who have lived in this region from time immemorial. WSU expresses its deepest respect for, and gratitude toward, these original and current caretakers of the region
WSU acknowledges that the disposition of Indigenous lands was often taken by coercive and violent acts, and the disregard of treaties. For that, we extend our deepest apologies. We owe our deepest gratitude to the Native peoples of this region and maintain our commitment towards reconciliation.
Meet Our Keynote Speakers
Rose M. George
Consultant
Confluence Project
Rose was born in The Dalles, Oregon and took her first bath in the Columbia River (Nch’I Wana). Her first home was a fish drying shed at Lone Pine Treaty Fishing In-lieu site. From birth, the ways of traditional fishing people were instilled in her from the teachings of her Mother, Father, Grandparents, and Elders. Rose is a citizen of the Yakama Nation. She currently lives in Toppenish, WA, on the homelands of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.
Rose is currently a consultant with Confluence in Vancouver, WA working to connect underserved K-12 youth with Native educators to learn Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM)-based outdoor learning about the Columbia River system.
She is a first-generation High School and College Graduate with her Bachelor of Science Degree with a Teaching Certificate in Environmental Chemistry from Heritage University in Toppenish, WA and completing her Graduate Degree Coursework in Cultural Resource Management from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA. Rose is a four-year NASA scholar and received certification in GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to benefit the Environment). She attended CWIS (Center for World Indigenous Studies) to study Ethnobotany and Traditional Medicine. She is Radiological Certified from Arizona State University. In addition, she has obtained Hazmat/Radiological Training from the Hammer Federal Training Center in Richland, WA. For her efforts working with the underserved and underrepresented communities she was awarded Heritage University’s 2004 Alumni of the year.
For more than 18 years Rose held the position of an Environmental Toxicologist taking part in the fight to get the ceded lands returned to the tribe and the fight to clean-up the Hanford Nuclear Site to a state safe enough for tribal people to exercise Treaty Rights to fish, hunt, and gather in usual and accustomed areas. Rose assisted in the first of its kind the Yakama Nation Exposure Scenario and participated in the interviewing process of Tribal Elders salmon consumption and other traditional foods, medicines, and ways of life. Through education outreach, she helped bring tribal youth to the ceded area to tour the limited access site.
Rose is a Mom and Grandmother which allows her to pass along the Nch’I Wana Pum (People of the Big River) way of life. She continues to migrate to Nch’I Wana (The Big River) to meet the salmon as promised. With her deep connection to the river, she uplifts her Indigenous Voice to say: “Salmon are our lifeblood!”
Allen Pinkham, Sr.
Elder
Nez Perce Tribe
Allen Pinkham, Sr. is a Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) Elder, the great grandnephew of Chief Joseph, a Tribal historian, and a storyteller, who was born in Lapwai, Idaho. Allen served for 9 years on the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee between 1981 and 1990, he was the chairman of the Columbia Tribal Inner Fish Commission for 5 years, he was the president of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, the vice president of the National Congress of American Indians, and was on the founding board of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., which was established in 1991 before the museum opened its doors to the public in 2004. He has additionally served as president and chairman of multiple other organizations.
For all his life, Allen has hunted and fished for salmon, trout, deer, elk, and others. Out of high school, he became a forest firefighter on the Yakama Indian Reservation. Then, he joined the United States Marine Corps in 1957, where he served as an infantryman (or grunt) in a combat platoon during peace times in Okinawa, Japan. This was during the Cold War when Dwight D. Eisenhower was in office. He later co-authored two books: Salmon and His People: Fish & Fishing in Nez Perce Culture (written with Dan Landeen, published in 1999), and Lewis and Clark Among the Nez Perce: Strangers in the Land of the Nimiipuu (written with Frederick Hoxie and Steven Ross, published in 2013).
Allen has been working on salmon issues since he was elected to the Nez Perce Tribal Executive committee in 1981, and strongly believes in the importance of talking about Celilo Falls, an immensely important site where some of the best fishing occurred for Columbia River Indian people. He grew up fishing at Celilo Falls, listening to the thundering roar of a great river cascading down the falls and rapids before it was inundated in 1957. He wrote about these experiences in the articleChildhood Memories of Fishing at Celilo Falls, which was published in 2007 by the Oregon Historical Society. He believes that people need to know the fisheries that were lost to the dams, and other dramatic environmental changes that directly affect salmon returns. Columbia River salmon returns were estimated to be 16-20 million fish. Now, it is lucky if there is at least 1 million.
Featured Talks
Dr. Philip Stevens, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Director of American Indian Studies, University of Idaho
Julian Matthews, Coordinator, Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment
Tholen Blasko, Graduate Student, Michael Phelps Lab, Washington State University
"Environmental DNA: the Story of Salmon, Told by the River"
Tad Iritani, Masters Student, Michael Phelps Lab, Washington State University
“Influence of Genetics on Fitness of Pacific Salmon Embryos”
Max Butensky, PhD student, Michael Phelps Lab, Washington State University
"Profiling the gene expression of salmon across migration and maturation"
Vendors and Organizations
Chat with professional and student organizations to learn about what they are doing and ways you can be involved.
WSU Fisheries Science Club, fundraising!
Yakama Nation Fisheries, informational
SACNAS, WSU Chapter, informational
Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, informational