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Stillaguamish Tribe looks at pharmaceutical effects on fish

The Stillaguamish Tribe is sampling fish to learn more about the effects of pharmaceuticals and other household products that flush into area streams.

Wastewater and runoff containing products that mimic estrogen can interfere with the endocrine system of fish, potentially resulting in males displaying both male and female characteristics.

“Emerging contaminants get into our water through a variety of sources, such as agricultural runoff, septic systems, stormwater and wastewater treatment plants,” said Stillaguamish biologist Jennifer Sevigny, who has been working with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since 2006 to study endocrine disruption in fish. (more…)

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Lummi Nation honors first salmon

The Lummi Nation held its First Salmon Ceremony yesterday. The Bellingham Herald covered it and has a photo gallery.

From the Bellingham Herald:

Lummi Natural Resources Director Merle Jefferson told the gathering that the tribe is working in cooperation with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to bolster the meager spring chinook salmon run that is netted each year in limited numbers for the annual ceremonial meal. The spring chinook are the first salmon to return to the Nooksack River each year. (more…)

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Muckleshoot food program fosters creative solutions

Students from Northwest Indian College at the Muckleshoot Tribe learn about traditional salmon preparation and skin tanning during a monthly seminar of the Food Sovereignty Project.

Including traditional foods – like huckleberries, nettles, camas and salmon – into tribal members’ everyday diets is the goal of the Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty program. The two year project is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is supported by Northwest Indian College’s Traditional Plants and Foods Program.

“This effort is about eating healthy and remembering who we are and where we come from,” said Valerie Segrest, a traditional foods educator at Northwest Indian College. In addition to a native foods course, the project also includes monthly day-long community seminars covering specific foods, such as deer, berries or salmon. The project also has spawned a native berry garden at the college, an orchard at the Muckleshoot Tribal School and a “cultural landscape” including native plants at the new senior center.

The project was inspired by a joint effort of the Muckleshoot, Suquamish and Tulalip tribes and the Burke Museum to research plants used by tribes.

“The Burke constructed a database of pre-contact foods,” Segrest said. “We interviewed tribal members about how traditional foods make it into their diets. We then asked if tribal members currently had access to traditional foods, and if they didn’t, why not. Our most vital discussion, and where we’re focusing our efforts now, is overcoming those barriers.”

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Read more about the article Lummi Nation distributes sockeye to families

Lummi Nation distributes sockeye to families

The Lummi Nation distributed sockeye salmon to tribal members last month for families to can and store for the winter.

“The tribe puts fish away as much as possible when we have an abundance, for ceremonies and all the functions that the tribe sponsors,” said Randy Kinley Sr., policy representative for the tribe. “It’s very important to take care of your people’s needs culturally.”

The fish was caught during the record 2010 Fraser River sockeye salmon fishery and has been in cold storage.

“The sockeye season was short this year and we wanted to make sure people have the opportunity to put salmon away for the winter,” Kinley said.

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