Page 7 - Chehalis Tribal Newsletter - May, 2019

7

Fish cooked
in the
traditional
Chehalis
way was
served for
lunch at
the Salmon
Ceremony.

CEREMONY
From page 1
Fishing and living off other natural resources
is part of the Chehalis culture and way of
subsistence for generations.
The Salmon Ceremony is an annual ritual
practiced by many tribes in Washington. One
part of the Chehalis Tribe’s ceremony takes
place early in the morning alongside the bank
of the river. The tradition honors the salmon by
releasing the carcass of the first Spring Chinook
down the Chehalis River.
It was explained that this year, the Chehalis
Tribe agreed to catch only one salmon for the
ceremony.
Organizers of the event wanted to emphasize
the importance of having youth participate
in these ceremonies to keep the culture alive
and thriving on ancestral lands. With such
low numbers this year, tribal leaders found it
important to explain to the community that
outside factors are impacting the waterways.
They wanted to bring awareness to an ongoing
concern, which is proposed dam construction
on the Chehalis River. Through the years,
development of damns has diminished the fish
population in local rivers and is even more evident
now as the Chehalis people
were unable to provide
local salmon out
of their river for
a meaningful Above: Community members engage and enjoy fresh fish during lunch.
event. Top: Tribal members offer the symbolic first salmon to the Chehalis River.

Community takes pride in Cemetery Cleanup

The 2019 Cemetery Cleanup on May 17 was a day for the tribal
community and Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel staff to pay respect
to those buried at the Chehalis Tribe’s cemeteries.