First Fish, First People: Salmon Tales of the North Pacific Rim - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0295977396 ISBN 13: 9780295977393

Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr, 1998

Synopsis

The arc of land and water forming the North Pacific Rim is a cut lace work of rivers running to the great ocean. The salmon, sacred to people who lived along the pathways of its journey, once engorged these rivers, but no more. Twelve writers from cultures profoundly based on salmon were asked to write about "the fish of the gods" from both a historical and a contemporary perspective.

These writers from two continents and four countries are Ainu from Japan, Nyvkh and Ulchi from Siberia, Okanagon and Coastal Salish from Canada, Makah, Warm Springs, and Spokane from the United States. Their writing remembers the blessedness and mourns the loss of the salmon while alerting us to current dangers and conditions.

The text is enhanced by glyphs--traditional designs from each Nation--and photographs, both contemporary and historical, as well as personal family pictures from the writers. These words and images offer a prayer that our precious remaining wild salmon will increase and flourish.

About this title

About the Author

Judith Roche is the author of two collections of poetry, "Myrrh/My Life as a Screamer" and "Ghosts". She has taught poetry at various universities and schools around the Northwest, and serves as Literary Arts Director for Bumbershoot for One Reel. Meg McHutchison is a project director for One Reel, a screenwriter, and a former editor of the literary art magazine Opinion Rag Oh Yeah? Uh Huh! and REFLEX, the NW forum on Visual Art.

Review

First Fish, First People provides an international sharing of respect for salmon, a refreshing alternative to the national grasping for a mere resource and to the multinational corporate monopolization of what may become a luxury food ... No journalist should write about salmon issues, and no politician or fisheries official should make a decision concerning salmon policy, before reading this book. (John Steckley CBRA)

First Fish, First People brings together writers from two continents and four countries whose traditional cultures are based on Pacific wild salmon: Ainu from Japan; Ulchi and Nyvkh from Siberia; Okanagan and Coast Salish from Canada; and Makah, Warm Springs, and Spokane from the United States remember the blessedness and mourn the loss of the wild salmon while alerting us to current environmental dangers and conditions. The text is enhanced by traditional designs from each nation and photographs, both contemporary and historical, as well as personal family pictures from the writers. Together, words and images offer a prayer that our precious remaining wild salmon will increase and flourish.

Edition details

• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0295977396
• ISBN 13: 9780295977393
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 199
• Editor: Roche Judith, McHutchison Meg