Importance of Salmon

Importance of Salmon. . Assets of the Columbia River, from the Dalles east at the Long Narrows and Cielo Falls was the most productive fishing area in North America. The power of salmon in the lives of American Indians living along the Columbia River can not be overestimated. These people were the "salmon tribes" and, according to their legends, the salmon was the "chief of all fish." , Salmon is the subject of countless legends of Wasco, Wishram, Tenino, Klickitat and other people of the Dalles. Archaeologists, anthropologists, and ethnographers have solid evidence that salmon fishing dominated the lifestyle of the people of the mid-Columbia River. One village site yielded over 250,000 salmon remains that date back approximately 10,000 years. , "Each good fishing site on the myriad channels had a name, many of which conveyed information about how it was used such as sapawifalartpama ('for netting jumping fish'), tayxaypama ('for spearing fish'), qiyakawas ('gaffing place'), and swaycas ('long pole,' for long-handled dip nets), The rocks and islands were often named for the families that used them." -- Carolyn Gilman , As the Lewis and Clark expedition passed down the Columbia, evidence of the central role that salmon played to the people of the Dalles was obvious. October 24, 1805, Clark writes in his journal "I counted 197 Stacks of dried pounded fish in different places on those rocks which must have contained 10,000 w(eight) of neet fish." That was just a fraction of the estimated 320,000 pounds of salmon produced annually for trade by the people of the Dalles. , April 19, 1806, on the return trip, Clark saw a first salmon ceremony. He writes. "There was great joy with the natives last night in consequence of the arrival of the Salmon; one of those fish was caught, this was the harbinger of good news to them... this fish was dressed and being divided into Small pieces was given to each Child in the village."