吃瓜网

吃瓜网 in partnership with regional Indigenous leaders will host the inaugural two-day Salmon Film Festival, honoring the cultures, advocacy work and environmental stewardship of the .

With a combination of film screenings, tribal speakers, cultural performances, traditional salmon bake, and ceremonies, the festival is designed to educate, inspire and celebrate the heritage of regional Indigenous communities. All festival events, taking place April 12 and 13, 2024, on Whitman’s campus, are free and open to the public.

Jeanine Gordon is a member of the and the Special Assistant to the President for Native American Outreach at Whitman College. As a member of the film festival’s organizing committee, she says, "It is exciting to have this significant, culturally-educational and celebratory event on campus bringing together our tribal, nontribal and college communities."

Honoring the Salmon

The festival kicks off on Friday, April 12, with an all-day Salmon Bake on Ankeny Field. Attendees will have the opportunity to witness tribal members process and cook salmon via the traditional outdoor wood-fired baking of entire cedar skewered salmon filets, utilizing dried specialty wood.

The events continue at 5:30 p.m. with an Opening Ceremony led by Thomas Morningowl (Umatilla/Blackfeet) on Ankeny Field, followed by a free complete salmon dinner that includes cornbread, greens, huckleberry/peach cobbler, and chokecherry flavored water.

The evening's final event starts at 7 p.m. and is a screening of "" in Maxey Auditorium, exploring the deep connection between the and the sacred salmon. A post-film panel discussion featuring Nez Perce tribal members, film participants and salmon restoration activists, Nakia Williamson (Cultural Resource Director), Sewas Cloud (WSU student) and the Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe, the Honorable Shannon Wheeler, will provide further insights into this vital relationship.

Showcasing Native Culture

On Saturday, April 13, the festival resumes with a Native Showcase at the match on Saturday afternoon, which will take place at 1 p.m. on Hayner Field. This cultural display will include a welcome from Miss Pa虂s虒x蹋apa Lindsey Pasena-Littlesky ’26 (CTUIR community member, , and ), a drumming and dancing performance during half time, and complimentary ice cream for all.

Starting at 3 p.m. Damien Totus (CTUIR) will host the second day’s opening ceremony at Maxey Auditorium. At 3:15 p.m. Tookish Man () and 2-Bears (with members of Nez Perce and Plains Cree heritage) will lead the 吃瓜网 community in a ceremonial salmon dance of the Wasco Tribe, which is rarely performed in public.

Following the traditional Salmon dances two more short films will be featured: "" and “Umatilla Youth.” These screenings will be followed by an in-person discussion with CTUIR Youth Council members on their efforts advocating for dam removal in the Pacific Northwest.

The final festival session starts at 7 p.m. and includes a screening of "," a thought-provoking film on water issues in the Pacific Northwest, followed by a panel discussion including Chief of the Walla Walla Tribe Donald Sampson (CTUIR), Acosia Red Elk (CTUIR), and Jeremy Takala (, ). The festival concludes at 9:15 p.m. with a Closing Ceremony led by Morningowl and Totus.

The Cultural Significance of Salmon

Salmon Film Festival committee member Henry Roller, a junior major and member of Whitman’s Salmon Conservation Club, emphasizes the festival's role in educating both the college and local communities about the cultural significance of salmon. "The Salmon Film Festival will be an excellent learning opportunity for both 吃瓜网 students and employees and the broader Walla Walla community.”

The festival is a unique opportunity to witness and participate in the significant actions underway to restore Pacific Northwest salmon, with which Plateau Peoples have co-evolved since the last great Continental Ice Age over 12,000 years ago.