swaq̓mu ICYMI – In Case You Missed It

By Troy Hunter

The Spring Fling Salmon Dinner and Zoom Meeting that was held on March 22^nd, commemorating United Nations’ World Water Day, was a great success!

The opening prayer was given by Ktunaxa Elder Marty Williams. He noted, “I think you are doing a good job in presenting the unified vision of the original people to bring the salmon home.”

ʔaq'am’s hereditary Nasuʔkin (Chief) Sophie Pierre said, “Coming together to share a meal while we discuss important issues has always been an important value for Ktunaxanintik.

The information that was shared with us this evening shows the important work being carried out for the restoration of swaq̓mu. I thank the presenters and I thank Troy for bringing us together like this and for providing the excellent food. Good job everyone!”

Troy Hunter, the Ktunaxa Nation’s Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for Bringing the Salmon Home: The Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative , hosted the well-attended event, which was held entirely online. Troy had prepared over two dozen kits which included cans of Indigenous-caught Columbia River watershed salmon (swaq̓mu) delivered to the participants in special boxes. The swaq̓mu was harvested on the Canadian side of Syilx Okanagan Nation territory. In addition, the dinner kits had a sampler of kamquq̓ukuǂ ʔiyamu wa¢kna (dried buffalo meat).

Both salmon and buffalo were at one time the main staples of the Ktunaxa peoples’ diet. Now, those foods are no longer available in the same sense as they were when Ktunaxa ancestors were able to harvest buffalo and salmon in ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa.

The canned salmon are real examples of swaq̓mu’s ability to be able to return to ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa.

At one point in time, salmon were blocked from entering the Okanagan system of the Columbia River, but now fish passage has been restored and the Syilx are stewarding that fishery now.

Sandra Luke, Band Councillor from Lower Kootenay and Bringing the Salmon Home: Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative representative, noted that in 2021 some Chinook had been spotted at the base of Bonnington Dam as a result of US Tribes reintroducing the salmon downstream on the USA side. The Bonnington dam is upstream k̓iksiǂuk (Castlegar) near sǂuqan (the Slocan River) and Kootenay River.

Pearci Walkley attended and said, “It was good and I really enjoyed it … it was important and a good acknowledgment.” Pearci’s reference is to a history of the Kettle Falls – a vital salmon fishing and trade centre on the Columbia which is now inundated by waters from Grand Coulee Dam – which states, “The falls was surrounded by potholes which resembled the boiling baskets in which my people cooked their food … [and that] Indians and white men from hundreds of miles away have gathered during the salmon runs at my falls, and they have all lived in peace sharing together.”

Troy presented a map showing trade routes in the US. Kettle Falls was noted as significant trading site for the Ktunaxa Nation. He mentioned that south of Kettle Falls is Walla Walla and not far from there are the Dalles including the location of the former Celilo Falls (now flooded by waters from Bonneville Dam). Troy mentioned that these were extremely important trading locations and Aboriginal rights were practiced such as harvesting, trading, etc. There was definitely an economic aspect to the trade routes to which the Ktunaxa are connected. Troy also referenced that on old maps of ʔa·kisk̓aqǂiʔit (Cranbrook BC), also known as Joseph’s Prairie, that there is a trail called, “Walla Walla Trail”.

Marty Williams recalled a time that, when he was in Lethbridge at a restaurant with his children, a ʔaqǂsmaknik person tapped him on the shoulder and asked what tribe he was to which Marty replied he was a Kootenay Indian (Ktunaxa). The old man said ‘Whatever happened to your people? We used to trade for salmon from a Kootenay who came from across the mountains but then he just stopped coming.’ The Ktunaxa salmon trader stopped coming because the salmon passage to the upper Columbia region had been blocked by the Grand Coulee Dam which was completed on June 1^st, 1942. It is noteworthy that the 80^th anniversary of the opening of that dam is coming up in June and it’s been that long since Ktunaxa were not able to harvest swaq̓mu within ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa.

Pearci Walkley remarked, “I learned a lot, I didn’t know what I was going to possibly learn but it’s good to have an open mind. I learned about the baskets and cooking salmon in them and it was nice to learn that we had Chinook Salmon.”

Also, Pearci helped in making the wa¢kna. She said it was her first time. Troy thanks his brother Allan Hunter for supplying the poplar and alder. The buffalo was purchased in Alberta. The salmon dinner and Zoom meeting featured the food of our ancestors, that is Columbia River Salmon and Buffalo from east of the Rocky Mountains. Troy feels sorry he didn’t have more buffalo meat and has hopes the Ktunaxa will invest in a herd or two.

Troy Hunter told the 1845 story of when Father De Smet encountered the Ktunaxa around Yaqan Nukiy (Creston area) and the Ktunaxa performed a type of first fish ceremony in a longhouse tipi. The Father referred to the ceremony as a festival. In that ceremony, the fish were boiled in a matter of minutes in large weaved baskets lined with ʔiǂwas (gum) and red hot rocks dropped into the kettles of fish. The men had to be careful not to disjoint or break a single bone, lest face banishment. Incidentally, banishment in the Ktunaxa law, according to Elder, Vi Birdstone, is that it meant a person was required to go on a vision quest.

The participants that preregistered for the Zoom meeting were each given a box containing goods such as canned salmon, dried buffalo, wild rice, honey and other goodies. The boxes were decorated with the artwork of Marisa Phillips which depicts Ktunaxa traditional knowledge including spearing salmon, a fish trap, drying salmon on racks, a cooking kettle, the tule mat longhouse tipi, the sturgeon nosed canoe with Ktunaxa cradle board, and returning the bones to the water as in the first fish ceremony.

ʔakisq̓nuk Councillor Lillian Rose sits on the Bringing the Salmon Home: Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative Implementation Team. She led a talk about archaeology at the Athalmere salmon beds. In addition, she spoke about some of her traditional knowledge related to weaving baskets. She also told about the Radium Visitors Centre in which Lillian and Margaret Teneese participated to develop the Ktunaxa peoples’ exhibit which includes salmon fishing along the Columbia River and that it is a must see for all Ktunaxa.

Then Darcy Fisher, the newly elected Band Councillor for ʔakisq̓nuk, gave a talk and showed some slides to do with seasonal foraging. Darcy attended the event from his home in Montana. Of note were the waʔta (Western Spring Beauty, Indian Potato) which will be coming up quite soon. Darcy and his wife Jenny run a company called Keepers of the Seasons LLC and they have so much traditional knowledge to share around traditional medicine and ethnobotany. Another plant Darcy discussed is Xapi (camas) and it grows in abundance near his home in USA.

Incidentally, there is Xapi to be found at Fort Shepherd south of k̓iksiǂuk (Castlegar) which was a traditional gathering spot for the three Columbia River Plateau First Nations of Ktunaxa, Syilx Okanagan and Secwépemc. Jim Clarricoates spoke of Fort Shepherd in November during an interview with Troy Hunter when Jim said “… there were celebrations with the Secwépemc, Okanagan and Ktunaxa.” He said they would celebrate in an area that's known as Fort Sheppard near trail between Trail and Castlegar BC. Jim added, “Those celebrations are actually very important because we were able to transfer knowledge from one person of one tribe to the next so that we can understand how many fish are allowed to make it to the spawning gravels.”

Darcy Fisher later commented, “I think this was a well-thought-out event. The information and presenters did a great job sharing their expertise. It was a good time to connect with ʔaqǂsmaknik, and to enjoy a community event. My best hopes are that we, as Ktunaxa, can get out into the territory and host more knowledge sharing events. To have meaningful dialogue and be able to include all our voices towards the future. A sharing of knowledge that will instill hope and inspire our young learners to raise their awareness of Indigenous Identity, to know who they are, how they are connected to our lands, and how their experience and knowledge will shape our Nation, taxas."

Biologist Misun Kang is employed by the Ktunaxa Nation Council and sits on the Bringing the Salmon Home: The Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative Technical Working Group. She spoke about, nutrient transfer; species interactions such as freshwater mussels; habitat restoration of bringing Salmon into the Upper Columbia despite the dams that are in the way and risks associated with bringing the salmon home.

Bringing the Salmon Home: The Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative is an Indigenous-led Initiative. It brings together five governments - the Ktunaxa Nation, Syilx Okanagan Nation, Secwépemc Nation, Canada and British Columbia – in an innovative agreement to explore salmon reintroduction into the upper Columbia River region in Canada. The three First Nations uphold their sacred responsibility to reintroduce the salmon, including continuing to work with US Tribes and other stakeholders and allies along the river. We’ve been working hard to establish the Indigenous-led governance processes, and launch the initial technical work and Nation-based outreach and engagement for this Initiative.

Guest Valerie Michel of Adams Lake Indian Band is the Secwépemc Outreach and Engagement Organizer and works in a team with Troy.

She spun the door prize wheel. The prize was an original painting by Pauline Arnold and it was won by Gloria Williams.

Be sure to Save the Date for our upcoming Bringing the Salmon Home Festival, May 3-4, 2022!