Annual First Fish Ceremony Celebrates Returning Spring Chinook Salmon at Umatilla Indian Reservation

MISSION, Ore. -- On Tuesday, April 23, the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation held a First Fish Ceremony at the Nixyáawii Community School.

The First Fish Ceremony was to celebrate the return of the first spring Chinook salmon of 2024.

This is an annual celebration when the fish return to the reservation with songs and prayers as part of the tribes' covenant to protect and enhance their First Foods.

“We know we’ve got to give thanks. It’s important to keep the songs and honor the ones that bring these songs and who remember what we are supposed to do every year,” CTUIR Chairman Gary I. Burke said. “I’m proud of our reservation, proud of our leadership, proud of our next generation. These are our gifts that the Creator gave us.”

The ceremony was hosted by the CTUIR's Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Department of Natural Resources’ Fisheries and General Council Interpreter Thomas Morning Owl. FWC and DONRFG were notified by fishers on the Columbia River to be on the look out for the First Fish Tuesday.

Once the fish is caught, the fish has a green rope tied to its mouth and it gets set aside so Fisheries staff members can bring it back to the reservation for the ceremony.

Ceremony planners normally only have 24-48 hours to prepare.

After the ceremony, the fish is cleaned, packaged and frozen because the 2024 spring Chinook run is about 122,000 with CTUIR's share being about 1,500. Tribes have to make sure there is enough fish for ceremonial purposes.

Corinne Sams, CTUIR Board of Trustees Member at Large and FWC chair, said having the ceremony at the school allowed students as well as tribal and community members to attend.

“It’s important for us to continue to live the way of life that we’ve lived since time immemorial. It’s important for all our tribal membership and community to celebrate in the return of our foods,” she said. “We’ve made a lifelong covenant to speak on behalf of our foods. We pray yearly for the health of our fish and the health of our waterways. It truly is the lifeblood of who we are as a people. We are the Wykanish-Pum, the Salmon People.”

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