Happy Earth Day! The official observance of the day only dates back to 1970, but obviously people paid attention to the needs of the planet long before that time. Like the indigenous people of our region, who celebrated the salmon that sustained them in body and in culture.
Salmon ceremonies existed potentially for thousands of years, and vanished in many places for decades, as native culture and traditions were suppressed. Now the salmon ceremony is celebrated by Humboldt Area Peoples Archive in an interactive display at the Humboldt County Visitors Bureau in Eureka. It contains oral histories from the Mattole River salmon ceremony of the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria.
We get details on the display, up through June, from Nicole Riggs at HAPA and Ruth Wortman at the Bear River Band.