Youth Salmon Warriors Report

The Outreach & Engagement Organizers' team for Bringing the Salmon Home: The Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative wishes to thank all of the youth participants, Elders, leaders, knowledge keepers, and funders and supporters, who together helped make the first annual 2022 Salmon Warriors Youth Gathering a marvelous success.

We would also like to offer special recognition to the two incredible facilitators Sofia Terbasket-Funmaker and Xastitk^w Michel who elevated the success of this gathering above all expectations. This year, we chose to have our camp and activities at the headwaters of the Columbia River and we look forward to the years to come, wherever our vessels land, as we strive together for the return of salmon to the upper Columbia River in what is currently known as British Columbia, Canada. We acknowledge those who could not make it and welcome future participation.

We also wish to thank and acknowledge the people of the three Indigenous Nations who ultimately made this possible. A big thank you to the Ktunaxa, the Secwépemc, the syilx Okanagan, as well as the Salmon themselves; it is for you that we do this sacred and important work.

*Please see attached the powerful Youth Salmon Warriors Statement that the young people collectively voiced, plus the PDF report with photos of this great event.

~Outreach & Engagement Organizers' team:

Troy Hunter, Ktunaxa; Valerie Michel, Secwépemc; Carrie Terbasket, syilx Okanagan; Teresa Marshall, CRSRI