The Sociocultural Significance of Salmon to Tribes and First Nations | 2021

Salmon are at the heart of the culture and well-being of hundreds of Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Yet, declining Pacific salmon populations jeopardize the well-being of these Indigenous communities. The Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) commissioned this study on the food, social, and ceremonial importance of Pacific salmon to Tribes and First Nations throughout the Pacific Salmon Treaty region with the objectives to:

Provide a foundation to the PSC to understand relationships between Pacific salmon and Indigenous societies.
Raise awareness among Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities about the significance of Pacific salmon harvests and the importance of Pacific salmon conservation.
Provide information to support future funding and decision-making through the Pacific Salmon Treaty between the U.S. and Canada.

The study focuses on insights shared by 31 participants from the PSC Tribal and First Nations Caucuses from four different PSC Panels from across the Pacific Salmon region, organizing responses into a framework of five intersecting areas: social cohesion, health of humans and ecosystems, livelihoods, Indigenous management systems, and cultural knowledge and practices. As the study demonstrates, Pacific salmon are a cultural and ecological keystone species, irreplaceable and core to the identities and ways of life of indigenous communities throughout the Pacific Northwest.

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Photo Credit: Katmai National Park and Preserve via Flickr