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Photo by: Mitch Miller

Indigenous Peoples and Salmon

From traditional diets and daily practices to ceremonies,
traditional stories and art, salmon are found through-
out Indigenous culture . As one could imagine, salmon
are particularly significant to coastal First Nations
whose activities throughout the year were centered
around harvesting, preserving and eating this crucial
food source . Through story-telling and ceremonies
Indigenous communities have passed down the
importance of salmon . Also shared throughout
generations is their rich knowledge of the practices
of traditional fishing, cooking and preservation
techniques . To First Nations, salmon are family .
For millennia, First Nations have managed this
natural resource, but systemic factors like overfishing,
habitat loss and the changing climate threaten to
eliminate salmon permanently .
Learn more about how local Indigenous Fisheries
like A-Tlegay Fisheries Society, the Central Coast
Indigenous Resource Alliance and the First Nations
Fisheries Alliance manage these precious marine
resources and steward these coastal waters and
ecosystems .

Figure 3.2 – Tom Harry jigging off Malahat Beach by
Tozier Creek on a recent fishing trip with Elders of the
Malahat Nation. He released the Jack Chinook to let
it grow. Photo provided by: Tom Harry
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