As you look around at the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, the crashing waves where orcas and seals reside, the mountains, the ancient forests with towering trees, the wildlife from bears to bald eagles, it’s easy to overlook the small creature at the center of all of them. Without salmon, as a keystone species, all these ecosystems would fall apart. After all, Washington residents considered themselves the People of the Salmon, long before European colonization.
For over 12,000 years, Indigenous tribes have lived on the land many of us now call our home. Salmon played a huge role in their diet and cultural practices; they considered themselves the people of the salmon and the people of the river. Without an abundance of salmon returning to the rivers every fall, their cultural identity is threatened. As habitat is destroyed and pollution poisons rivers, the salmon fade away, and so does the Native peoples’ way of living.
Today, in Washington State, many salmon species are endangered or threatened. The main threats to habitat include climate change and river barriers like culverts or dams which affect the migration patterns of salmon. Salmon play a uniquely important role in ecosystems; the health and biodiversity of an ecosystem rely on a keystone species’ population. In the case of salmon, these fish return necessary nutrients to rivers after migrating back from the ocean and are a key source of diet for 138 animal species, including orcas, seals, bald eagles, bears, insects and of course, humans. According to State of Salmon, the salmon industry creates 23,000 jobs in Washington state and contributes over 1.5 billion dollars to the economy through recreational fishing alone. As part of treaty rights, indigenous tribes have the right to fish on their lands (reservations). Habitat destruction through building dams and polluting rivers are a direct violation of these rights. Oftentimes, tribal organizations are the first people to both notice and speak out for the declining salmon population. Recently, in September, the Snoqualmie Indian Tribal Council declared an emergency along the Snoqualmie river due to record low water levels. The Snoqualmie Tribe called upon the governor, WA Department of Ecology, and community organizations to help with restoration efforts along the river.
A lot of Indigenous restoration efforts begin with a call to uphold treaty rights, and a focus on returning to traditional diets of salmon and cultural fishing practices by taking care of the ecosystems that they rely on. This way, ecosystem services and cultural value are restored. Over the years, tribes have called for habitat restoration in Washington state for a declining number of different species, including salmon. During the November 2023 Rise up Northwest Unity gathering, tribal members called for Salmon and Orca restoration along the Columbia and Snake rivers by removing dams and salmon barriers. “Since time immemorial, my people lived off the salmon,” Chair Evans said. “They sustained about 50-60% of their diet. The salmon gave up herself so we could exist, so we could be here. We must give up ourselves to help her continue, to help us sustain our way of life.”
Indigenous people are a major stakeholder involved in Washington restoration efforts. One of the tribal groups involved is the Tulalip Tribes. According to their website, “The Tulalip Tribes’ Restoration, Acquisition and Stewardship Program protects and restores Tulalip Treaty Retained Resources through conservation, stewardship, restoration, and enhancement of critical habitat and natural processes … Restoration projects include estuary restoration, floodplain connectivity, dam removal, fish barrier correction, in-stream habitat enhancement, and riparian enhancement.” Another major tribal project is Quinault Indian Nation’s Salmon Recovery Initiative which focuses on forest restoration along the upper Quinault River to recover numbers of Blue Sockeye Salmon. In addition to tribal initiatives, tribes become stakeholders by partnering with nonprofits, an example being the estuary zis a ba restoration. In 2024, the Stillaguamish tribe and The Nature Conservancy purchased estuary and floodplain lands at the Stillaguamish river for the purpose of Chinook Salmon restoration, co-managing the site. There are also examples of partnerships with government organizations; The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, continuously partner with Olympic National Parks for research and restoration along the Lower Elwha River. They carried out over 75 restoration projects since 1944 along the Olympic peninsula. Additionally in May of 2024, U.S senator Maria Cantwell approved over $39 million to fund nine different salmon restoration projects in Washington State that involved
removing barriers to salmon and opening up migration routes. All nine projects are either led by or have tribal involvement. Some involved federally recognized tribes include Tulalip Tribes, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Squaxin Island Tribe, and Port Gable S’Klallam Tribe.
It is clear from Indigenous peoples’ involvement and success in conservation and restoration,
that the people possess a deep knowledge of ecosystems in their ancestral homelands, and this valuable
traditional knowledge can be combined with scientific knowledge in restoration projects. In ecological
the goal is to recover a degraded ecosystem to a healthy state. This provides ecosystem services and supports biodiversity so it can return like its original state before disturbances. Oftentimes, due to constant human interactions, it is difficult to find what the “original state” of a place looked like, so many forms of research are used including historical records, local communities, indigenous knowledge, and reference ecosystems nearby. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is the unique cultural knowledge that communities have of the land they lived on for generations. It includes information like land management techniques which are passed down verbally. However, it can also include cultural elements since the environment plays a role in shaping culture. Storytelling through language, art and song, all show the relationship indigenous people have with the land; it is a part of their worldview. In relation to salmon, there is the First-Salmon ceremony which celebrates the first fish of the season, art including carvings, tools, and many stories including the original creation story. Salmon were seen as a gift from the earth, and they were honored as non-human relatives who gave up their lives so people could live. This created a reciprocal view of the land and sustainable land management practices. As colonization removed people from their ancestral homelands, it damages that relationship and disconnects people from the environment harming both in the process. When applied correctly, TEK can be used to identify past population sites and numbers, and give insight to sustainable fishing and land management practices people used to sustainably harvest.
Research on salmon at UW Bothell is ongoing with Dr. Jensen’s work on Kokanee salmon at the North Creek campus wetlands and the different watersheds in the region. You can visit the successfully restored salmon habitat site on campus to view salmon, volunteer, or learn more. As research and restoration efforts of salmon continue in Washington State, it is important to remember why this is necessary work for both people and the environment. Involving indigenous stakeholders in land management and restoration leads to more successful results. It connects people back to their ancestral homelands, improves relations with tribes, and preserves indigenous cultures, knowledge, and ways of life. At UW Bothell, we start every event with a land acknowledgement, an understanding we are on land where colonial settlers forcibly removed indigenous people. This statement should not just be words. As students, we must uphold it in our work and research, and the ongoing salmon restoration efforts are no exception.
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