The salmon runs along the Yukon River have been dwindling for many years. In addition, the decline in subsistence and commercial fishing has impacted communities severely. KYUK has sat down together with tribal president Nick Andrew Jr. of Marshall on August. 9 to discuss the implications of the salmon decline for those who have relied on the fish since immemorial.
Andrew has been fishing commercially for salmon as well as to supplement his income since he was five. Andrew spoke about the psychological and social impact that the salmon crisis has imposed on his community.
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The content of this interview is edited to improve simplicity and clarity as well as length.
Nick Andrew Jr.:My name is Nick Andrew Jr. I am a tribal member of Marshall. I am also the tribe’s president, however what I say is not always a formal statement in behalf of our tribe.
I’m from Marshall I was born and raised in Marshall. I’ve been a part of the salmon fishery, both subsistence and commercial since I was 5 years old. young. I was a helper to my parents, my siblings as well as my uncles, aunts and my nieces, as well as my cousins, all of us collaborated during the time of our lives. Yes, salmon is the only thing that defines who I am. It is the source of my ancestral lineage, my family and my family members, as well as everyone else who lives along the river.
Conservation mode has been on the table for king salmon for around 40 years. It’s a long period. I’ve been through the years of abundance. I’ve witnessed many years of deprivation and it’s becoming a political issue today.
The loss of salmon struck us difficult on the cultural aspect. Our connection with our people who came before us. We also lost the connection to our family. Since a lot of people would go fishing or processing, they are a part of families. The past four years have not been easy particularly the times when we were in the absolute conservation mode. It was felt by the community as well as in the region along the bottom of Yukon River. We felt a sense of insecurity.
The fact that we didn’t know was the main factor. We were convinced that the salmon would soon disappear It was one of the ideas. We also felt an eerie feeling of sadness. There was no the salmon, dried salmon Salmon strips, dry-fish of salmon King salt fish and salmon in the freezer to keep for winter. It took a significant emotional toll on us.
Our subsistence rights aren’t negociable. We take only a tiny percentage of all the rivers that run through the river. It’s not difficult to request that more be done to protect the salmon. Since if there’s no action in the next 50 years, we’ll be on an endangered list, and possibly extinction with the speed at which the situation is. We need to have to have a seat at the table and especially for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Our voice is crucial. The knowledge we have acquired through our tradition is vital. We as the Native people living who live along the shores of the river have a role to play. This should be kept in your mind.
Francisco Martinezcuello:How did this year’s run go?
Nick Andrew Jr.:Well, when we take a look at the race, we find data on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game on their Facebook page, as well as emails we’re receiving from the tribe which are showing less as well as lower numbers. That’s extremely worrying. On a positive point, in the past we have been permitted to pick the chum of summer. This has really helped a lot people. This gave them a sense of we are important. Yes, we’ll have salmon in the winter even if this isn’t the King fish we’ve been begging since the beginning of time. That’s why we’re here.
Francisco MartinezcuelloWhat do you remember about of being a child and playing here? To give those similar to me total strangers to the world an understanding of how things were particularly for your family and your family?
Nick Andrew Jr.:Growing up was a different experience. There was plenty of fish to eat: King salmon, summer, autumn chum and the silvers. The town would be empty. Families would visit the fishing camp during those times. Everyone was content. The dogs that were required to transport us and for subsistence activities at the time were fed, and they depended on salmon, too. The bears all the way and birds, which includes falcons and eagles, seagulls, were happy as well, and the world was full of joy then. Therefore every day dried salmon and salted salmon were consumed 3 or 4 times a day.
Today, as the salmon was beginning to decrease in numbers and the population grew smaller, people needed to hunt for alternative species. Yet, there was a gap, which means that the majority of our daily staples was lost. It’s not over yet, the puzzle isn’t finished because we have all these influences which changed our culture, physical and mental health too. The weight of this is over our minds and our very DNA is at a nexus with salmon, as our food as well as our identity and lifestyle. As the population of salmon continues to decline this is affecting nearly all of us in the region as well as across the entire lower Yukon River because it was the common factor that brought us together.
KYUK’s Evan Erickson helped with this story.
