Guest Steven Solomon, Sr. of the Lummi Nation

Host Tiokasin Ghosthorse spends the hour with Steven Solomon, Sr., an elder, lifelong Lummi fisherman and traditional knowledge holder of the reef net practice. “Reef net fishing is an ancient, sustainable salmon-harvesting technique created and perfected by the Lummi and other Coast Salish Indigenous people over a millennium. Rather than chasing the fish, this technique uses ropes to create an artificial reef that channels fish toward a net stretched between two anchored boats. Fishers observe the water and pull in the net at the right moment, intercepting salmon as they migrate from the Pacific Ocean to the Fraser River near present-day Washington state and British Columbia. Colonialism, government policies, habitat destruction, and declining salmon populations have separated tribes from this tradition. Today, only 12 reef net permits exist, with just one belonging to the Lummi Nation. Many tribal members hope to revive reef net fishing to restore their cultural identity and a sustainable salmon harvest but face difficulties balancing economic realities with preserving what the Lummi consider a sacred heritage.” — Liz Kimbrough, author, “Last of the reef netters: An Indigenous, sustainable salmon fishery,” Mongabay, Nov. 21, 2023: https://bit.ly/3IlGIk9