To be indigenous is to be so inter-connected with the land, the ecosystems, that it is part of you. Nothing is closer to the land and resources as being part of it. Our ability to survive was based on our ability to understand the land. In order to survive, indigenous people learned the cycles of production and harvest in Nature. Traditions of indigenous people evolved around these natural cycles.
Harvesting is associated with feasts and ceremonies that have been passed down through generations.
Participating in these ritual harvests upholds traditions and sustained our cultural identity through efforts to forcibly assimilate us into non-Indian cultures. We insisted on retaining our rights to hunt and fish in treaties because of tradition. Spearfishing allows us to uphold our traditions. Hunting and fishing traditions are intricate parts of treaty rights because of their cultural significance. These traditions were passed down despite what the non-Indian community thought of them.