By Corvo Rohwer, Puyallup Tribal News
Tribal Members, local leaders and members of the community waited along the shoreline at dxʷłalilali — a place to come ashore — and watched as a pair of boats returned with the salmon that would be honored during the First Fish ceremony on May 23.
“Today gives recognition to not only this fish, but gives recognition to the traditions that every one of us have been taught,” Puyallup Tribal Council Vice Chairwoman Sylvia Miller said.
Following the arrival of the salmon, the Tribal fishermen brought the fish up to the shore along a cedar pathway, where they too were honored for their time spent on the water and their dedication to the safe harvest of the natural resource. These fishermen were Don Coats, Ryan Conway, Fred Dillon, Codi Dillon, Christopher Lage, Roslyn McCloud and Dale Varbel.
The First Fish Ceremony honors the first salmon run of the season, with the freshly caught fish also going on to take part in the First Foods Ceremony. Recognizing the important role that salmon have in the Tribal community, attendees were given time to share stories and offer gratitude to the salmon relatives.
“We respect the salmon,” Councilman Dillon said. “We do this in a good way so that the salmon will go back and tell their relatives, ‘The Puyallup people have taken care of us.’”
After it was filleted, the salmon was thanked by having its head and bones returned to the water (k’ʷədiid čəɫ ti liɫdᶻixʷ sčədadxʷ – we thank the first salmon). Councilwomen Annette Bryan and Monica Miller expressed this is an important step in the ceremony, as it allows the salmon to return to its relatives to share its experience.
“We pay honor to our salmon people so that they can go back and tell the salmon we are respectful, that we are taking care of them, so they can take care of us. It reminds us all to take care of each other,” Bryan said.
“It’s good medicine, and I’m hoping that these fish bones go back into the water and bring back lots of fish for these fishermen and for the community,” Councilwoman Miller said.
As the boats returned to the water with the remains of the salmon, witnesses of the ceremony were thanked for their attendance and invited to travel to the Levee Road housing community for the naming of the haac ʔalʔal (longhouse) and the commencement of the First Foods Ceremony.
