The Northwest coast is a narrow area of land along the Pacific Ocean. There are forests, plateaus, basins and rivers to the east of this area where my nation and tribe make a home. We, as a culture, have learned to survive and respect our environment. While the land provides us with some animals to hunt, plants to pick and water to drink, the sea environment provides us with almost everything our tribe needs for food from whale meat to sea birds. But of these animals, none is more important than the salmon.
Every year from May until September, the salmon swim from their home in the Pacific Ocean to lay their eggs in the fresh water rivers that surround our tribe. Salmon always return to their place of birth to die. Father calls this the circle of life. Their journey can last up to several months and cover as much as 2,000 miles. The salmon’s determination and perseverance to swim upstream and against rapids is why we honor them so much. Much can be learned by observing the animals and laws of nature.
Today I watch closely as my father builds a weir across the river and I wait in anticipation to see what he will catch. When the sun sets, father will take what we need to survive and let the rest of the salmon go. My father, who has much respect for the environment and being an excellent fisherman, will always thank the fish before catching it. “Thank you for coming to my net,” he would say. He believes that by thanking them, they will continue to fill his net in bounty.
Tradition says our people should take what they need and let the rest of the fish continue upstream for the next tribe. This way we can all inhabit the Earth from generation to generation and there will always be plenty for our descendants. Father says we must also allow enough salmon to spawn so that next migration will be as plentiful. This is our way of respecting the sea and land. Our nation of Native Americans has learned to appreciate and value the animals and all the wonders of this land in all its glory. Every one of God’s creatures has value and purposes here, no matter how small or insignificant. And we are thankful for it all. In my culture nothing can be wasted, we must use what we receive and always allow others to benefit as well.
The real work comes after the salmon have been caught. We will prepare the fish for the cold moons ahead. While my brothers gather wood to build fire and drying racks, grandmother and I split and remove the heads, bones and intestines. We will then place them on the racks over the small fire and watch them closely until they dry. Then we can store them in boxes covered with planks and place them high up so no other animals can eat what we have prepared. It is important that we have a good supply of food. This allows my people to spend less time gathering food for survival and gives us more time to do other things like carving. Carving has been a tradition passed on from one generation to the next and has been an appreciated form of art by others who view its beauty.
Outside our home, the decorated totem poles carved by our people stand elaborately decorated with animal designs. The same animals in which we respect and share the land and waters. This pole is in honor of our family and clan and it stands 40-60 feet high. Our tribe specializes in the technology of its design and the ideas, tools and methods required to create such a beautiful monument. This is part of my heritage and it is passed down from generation to generation.
We recently had a ceremony after this particular totem pole was raised. My father, the storyteller, explained the significance of the carving sand the order in which they appeared. Father says that some white men called European Missionaries do not like our totem poles. Father says that they believe, incorrectly, that these are religious objects that we worship. What a foolish thought!
Inside our home, my family and my relatives rise the mats that separate our living quarters so that we may share in the storytelling that my father will begin. Today he will share the story of how our nation came to be.
As the cool autumn day begins to drift away with the sunlight, father places his blanket around my neck. He had done this for so many moons of my life. He claims that my ancestors had done this for him during his youth and that I too will do the same for my children as well. I look forward to these cold long nights in anticipation of my father’s stories and the warmth of his blanket. Father begins to tell the story of the creation of our Chinook nation.
The Creator made the earth, made the sun, and made the animals that filled the land. When the day was bright, things were good, but when the sun set, there were troubles. You see in this early age of life the stars did not yet exist and the poor creatures stumbled around in the darkness.
Frustrated the animals went to the creator and asked for some guide in the darkness. With that the creator reached down and gathered up a shiny stone. He placed it high up in the sky. “This light shall be called ‘star ,’” he said, and “it shall be called the ‘North Star.’ It will always show you where you are at night.”
The animals were satisfied for awhile and then they began to complain again. It was still dark at night and although they could find the North Star they still could not get their bearing in the dark. They went back to the creator again and told him “We like these things called stars, please give us more so that we may have more light thru the darkness.”
The creator gathered up all the remaining shiny stones from the river and put all the stones in a bag. He gave the bag to the animals and said, “Take these stones and make a picture in the sky.”
The animals liked this idea and began to make pictures of themselves way high up in the sky using the stones. Some of the smaller animals worked very slowly. It was a long and tiresome job.
So for the last time, the animals went back to the creator and complained. “We are small and the work is hard. We need help making our pictures in the sky.” The creator asked who was strong among the animals. The Wolf, being the strongest and most energetic of the bunch volunteered to help. The creator told the wolf to make sure he put his picture up as well. The wolf and all the animals left content that this would be the answer to their problems.
While the wolf was strong and energetic, he was not patient. He found the work of making pictures in the sky with small stones too much work, so he grabbed the whole bag of shiny stones and threw them up in the sky. This got the job done, but because he threw them up like this the pictures of the animals never really got done. This is why the pictures don’t really look like the animals they were supposed to represent. The wolf, in his haste, had also forgot to put his own picture in the sky. He regretted losing his patience. Today when you hear the wolf howling at the nighttime sky it is his cry for not having his own picture in the sky.
Father says this story sows us to be patient and diligent in our work and when helping others. We must learn from the animals how to survive together. In the same way we share the land with the animals, we share the land with other tribes. When the weather is warm we share our abundance of fish with some other tribes that grow fruits and vegetables from the land, they, in turn, share their fruits and vegetables with us. My sisters and I also gather wild plants from the forest.
As the moon begins to rise high in the sky and the story comes to an end, we must get some rest for tomorrow is going to be a big day. We will be having a Potlatch in honor of our new chief.
The potlatch ceremony will last for days. There will be singing and dancing and I am excited to see what gifts the new chief will bring. You see our old chief, Chief Running Bear, has died and his successor has called the potlatch in hopes of gaining the support and authorization he needs from the members of our community. He needs this support to assume his new position as chief. It is only after the guest listen to his stories and accept his food and gifts that he will be recognized as our new chief. I so hope he is chosen since I so admire his handsome face.
When the Potlatch finally ends, it will be the season to begin spending more time indoors. This is to avoid the harsh weather that will follow. This time indoors allows us to add much needed tools and items required for our tribe during the cold months that approach and when the warm weather arrives in spring.
The women of my tribe will begin to weave more baskets, blankets and mats using grasses, roots and straw that we have collected when they were abundant in the land. The men will carve masks, boxes and tools out of wood. And there will be more stories told by my father to pass down my heritage. Oh how I enjoy the comforts of my life, the times we share and the stories of my past. These are the same stories that I look forward to sharing with my own children someday as I teach them the lessons of our life.
