Barbara Greene is taking a break from a government job in the Nez Perce tribe. James Goudy works in an aluminum smelter in The Dalles. Randy Settler sits on the Yakama tribal council. In the wheelhouse of a small boat, Settler explains that fishing connects him to traditions and rituals that date back a thousand years. We're seeing an abundance which is to us almost a spiritual event.
People have very little explanation for what's occurring.
It's quite, quite the event. This April, Columbia River tribes fished commercially for spring chinook for the first time in 24 years. Even with this spring's extended fishing season, the Yakama tribe's harvest manager claims five to ten times as many salmon should reach the spawning grounds compared to their parent generation. Copyright 2001 Oregon Public Broadcasting, Inc . All Rights Reserved.