The Celebration features Native American dances, gatherings, storytelling and art that celebrate the annual return of salmon to our streams and rivers. After the Forum concludes, you are invited to join Northwest tribes, elected officials and others involved in Salmon Homecoming for a fundraising reception at The Seattle Aquarium. Joane Cardinal Schubert, a First Nation Canadian artist from British Columbia will present her performance art on Indian boarding schools and their impact of Native American culture. Alaska Native artist Nathan Jackson will discuss the influence of tourism and commercial galleries on the development of indigenous art. Other speakers will include Southwest mural artist Steven Yazzie, whose work explores social political themes concerning turn of the century removal of Southwest Native people, and Seattle artist John Feodorov whose installation art provides ironic commentary on popular notions of Native American culture in America.
Admission is free.
As a complement to the Salmon Homecoming Forum, the Indian Law Symposium will feature a review of two approaches to ecosystem restoration through dam removal. We will hear from the tribal, federal and private representatives involved in the Elwha River Restoration Act's implementation and attorneys involved in the settlement of the Condit Dam relicensing effort. The Symposium is presented by the Native American Law Center, whose mission is to promote a better understanding of Indian law and policy in order to facilitate legal and institutional improvements among tribal, state and federal governments. A facilitator will assist the story teller and the audience share cultural lessons about respect for salmon and how that might translate into simple everyday personal actions to help save both the salmon and ourselves. Through generous financial support of Seattle Public Utilities the first twenty audience members will receive a coupon good for a complimentary salmon dinner ticket.