The Chinook Indian Nation welcomed the return of salmon to the Columbia River this spring with its annual First Salmon ceremony, a tradition that has connected Chinook people to the river, their ancestors and future generations for centuries. Tribal members gathered to sing, dance, drum and speak about what the salmon tradition means and the connection between the past and present, nature and man.
On June 19, the Nation gathered at Tansy Point in Warrenton — the same place where Chinook leaders signed treaties with the United States in 1851. The ceremony came 175 years after those agreements. The ceremony honors the first salmon caught each season through prayer, blessing and the careful preparation of the fish over an alder fire. Tribal members share the salmon in a communal meal before returning its bones to the Columbia River, a practice rooted in respect and reciprocity.
“First Salmon is an obligation that Chinook people have to our salmon relatives,” Chinook Indian Nation Chairman Tony Johnson said. “We must do that to ensure they continue to return and are catchable by our people.”
Johnson said every generation of Chinook people has carried the tradition forward. Hundreds attended this year’s ceremony. The Nation holds two First Salmon ceremonies annually — a larger public gathering and a smaller private observance. The public event alternates between Oregon and Washington, while private ceremonies take place on both sides of the Columbia River to fulfill cultural responsibilities tied to each location.
For the Chinook, salmon are more than a food source. The ceremony recognizes salmon as a life-giving relative and reaffirms the Nation’s relationship with the Creator, the river and the natural world.
The tradition also endures despite the challenges the Nation has faced. The federal government granted the Chinook recognition in 2001, then revoked it 18 months later. Today, the Nation includes around 3,000 members and continues its fight to regain federal recognition. Without that status, the Chinook cannot access many federal programs and resources available to recognized tribes.
Still, Johnson said the First Salmon ceremony remains a powerful expression of cultural continuity, bringing together tribal members to honor a relationship that has sustained the Chinook people since time immemorial.
