Tribal Projects
The Commission has established a fund specifically to support tribal projects in the Northwest Straits region. Initially, this funding was used to support a liaison position to help the Commission better understand how to work with tribal co-managers and identify projects of mutual interest. At the recommendation of the liaison, this fund became a source of grant funding to support tribal projects that align with the Northwest Straits Initiative's benchmarks. To date, three projects have been funded through this process:
Approximately $80,000 from this fund was used in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 for casting and filming an educational film titled Shadow of the Salmon. This hour long docu-drama features an exciting view of the great importance of salmon and the environment among the Salish tribes of western Washington. Viewers will experience this through the eyes of a young Native American from Pine Ridge, South Dakota. The eye-opening adventure provides insights into traditional tribal culture, including a First Salmon Ceremony and the annual Canoe Journey, as well as the natural resource management achievements of tribes today.
The film targets television audiences across the country as well as middle-school classrooms. A middle school curriculum to go along with the film will also be produced outside of the NWSC’s grant agreement. Together, the film and the curriculum will be a valuable tool in teaching school children about tribal history in the NW Straits region and its linkage with contemporary tribal natural resource and environmental management.
To see a trailer of Shadow of the Salmon, visit the Northwest Indian Fishery Commission’s website at http://www.nwifc.wa.gov/
The Port Gamble S'Klallam tribe requested funding to design and install interpretive signs to educate the public about the value of local marine resources, the importance of conservation, and the methods used in the Dosewallips Estuary Restoration Project to improve natural system functions. Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, Washington Trout, State Parks and others created a restoration project at the mouth of the Dosewallips River, located in Dosewallips State Park. The interpretive signs describe the estuary restoration activities.
The Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) received funding to expand the geographic scope of the Skagit Bay pocket estuary research and conduct preliminary investigations into the restoration potential of these unique habitats in several regions. Working in coordination with 4 other tribes, the SRSC explored patterns of salmon use of pocket estuaries by sampling for juvenile salmon at a series of locations during their migration cycle. Data from this project are proving important to understand how young Chinook rely on small, pocket estuaries during migration from the Skagit River. Other funding sources contributed to this study as well.