A full examination of the Columbia River commercial fishery requires historians to consider the overlapping worlds of Indian and non-Indian fishers. This essay will explore what set the Native fishery apart from the non-Native commercial fishery without losing focus on the various ways Native fishers accommodated the new economic, political, and cultural realities of a post-contact Pacific Northwest.
Introduction: What is Different about Native American Fishers?:
Pre- and post-contact Native fishers shared some commonalities with non-Native fishers, but there are significant differences as well.
Stories and Ceremonies: The Cultural Context of Native Fisheries:
Native Americans consider salmon and other fish as more than simply food or economic resources.
Indigenous Regulations of the Harvest:
Indians developed social and political structures that allowed them to successfully regulate their fishery.
Fishing Technologies: Fusing Old with New:
Indians developed sophisticated technology to harvest salmon from the Columbia River and its tributaries.
Gender Roles on the River:
Traditionally, Indian men caught salmon while Indian women collected and processed them.
A Treaty Right to Harvest:
One of the most important characteristics of the Native fishery is the effects of ongoing negotiations between Indian and non-Indian fishers regarding the treaty right to harvest.
Efforts to Limit Access:
The two biggest threats to Indian fishing rights were private property owners and non-Native regulatory agencies.
Conclusion:
With the onset of contact, regional Indian material cultural reflected the “traditional” and the “new,” a practice of cultural mixing and exchange that is evident today.
