Discovering a Hatchery on My Way to Indian Land

[@ericwilliams2546]

They kill the fish before it lays eggs because they want to make sure it's fresh, unfertilized (fish will fertilize eggs once they are laid), and to make they get the maximum harvest. I am native american, you are allowed to go onto the reservations, however some tribes are cautious about outsiders and you may get a lot of people staring at you trying to figure out who you are. It also will probably be really hard to find a native that will teach you their traditional foraging mostly because a lot of the people who knew that information were targeted first to be killed during america's colonization, even up to the 1970s/1980s (although they were mostly imprisoned later in time). So sometimes the people who know that information are very careful about who they spend their time teaching. I would advise against trying to forage on the reservation though, a reservation is sovereign territory meaning it is not part of the united states, they belong to the tribe, although we do have agreements with the federal government. Also try to be careful on reservations, women and children on reservations are the highest trafficked (kidnapped) and murdered anywhere in the america's, it is not the natives doing it, the government just does not do anything about it. If you see natives or native art with a red hand print across the mouth, that is what it means (that we are fighting to try and protect our women and children. If you do approach someone for information there probably will be a way you are supposed to approach them. In my nation if you are asking someone for something (even information), you will give them some tobacco (sometimes clean water as well). I would see if their tribe has a cultural department or a department of land management for the reservation and you can ask them what is traditional to offer them when making a request. Then if you visit them let them know you would like to ask them something, give them that gift, and then ask your question. It is not a one gift per request (at least for my nation), you make one gift then ask them whatever questions you have. If they ignore you, they probably aren't going to answer your question, in my nation it's not considered rude but more of a you probably did something they didn't like and they won't hear your request. If they have an administration building that would be your best bet getting information (you don't need to give them a gift since it's their job and they wont expect it).

[@ClarityIsPretty]

Thank you so much for this gift! For your answer, for taking the time to write to me. This is of incredible value. I have so many questions and I appreciate all the knowledge and advice. I went from Shasta to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and drove through Kurok, then took a detour - found acorns on a campground and a beautiful water pool, and by the time I made it to Yurok after spending time there, it was already dark and I decided that it isn’t the right time to meet anyone. Besides, the road I was on stopped abruptly in the middle of the reservation and would not take me through to the Prairie Creek Redwoods SP, so I found another road that would take me to Eureka through Hoopa reservation. There, I found a native owned campground and stayed for the night. The next morning I woke up super early and drove through Hoopa. It became clear very fast that I won’t be meeting anyone on the streets and I headed to their cultural center that I passed last night. It was a Saturday morning and the center was closed but I took notes for some of the holiday activities and future local gatherings and I will try to make my way back up there if time permits. I also got advice from my local foraging guide that Kurok reservation has a great museum and might be my best bet to learn a thing or two. Then I met someone else, and helped out a bit by giving them a ride to the city, a very special person, from Minnesota, who actually lives with the natives in Shasta and participates regularly in ceremonies - we agreed to stay in touch and i hope he can teach me and maybe introduce me to someone who will be willing to spend time with me. I feel guided to build a bridge between native communities and my community, which is my children, so that by the time they reach the age where their decisions effect the world around them - this bridge is already solid, and my children and native children, who are the original owners of the land we live on, can walk back and force to communicate with each other, sharing knowledge and making all decisions together, to restore our land and bring all of her children (people) back to life. So much needs to be done - healing, forgiveness, remembrance, releasing, learning, integration, bonding …. We need to start now. Thank you so much again. Your reply has brought so much joy. To me it’s a start. Please if you think of anything else or would just like to chat - please do share 🙏 Have a beautiful day today!

[@ericwilliams2546]

@@ClarityIsPretty I would be happy to answer questions you have, some I may not be allowed to answer. I may not be the best resource for you though, I am a great lakes native, so the other side of the continent. The good news is that in the pacific northwest they were better able to keep their teachings. The further east you go (usually) the more the tribes are damaged. If you live in those areas you may want to go to pow wows if the tribe holds them (most do), they are held usually 1 or 2 times a summer for most tribes. You could also ask if there are volunteer opportunities for those tribes. Bringing elders food and items needed for daily living would probably go really far, even if it's just fish that you caught. If you are serious about trying to get that foraging information from native sources you might also want to see if the tribe has clans, clans usually have different jobs in native cultures and is kind of like a second family, there might be a clan out there that is responsible for collecting from nature. If you want a faster route there are some great books you can get on amazon, most information was taken from native sources

[@ClarityIsPretty]

@@ericwilliams2546 thank you so much! I will follow up on all your advice. And I have so many books, it’s like a whole library in my car - “Braiding Sweet Grass”, “Tending the Wild”, “Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest”, “Chimi Nuam - Native California Foodways for the Contemporary Kitchen” are just a few. I love reading them, but nothing can replace hands on learning in the field through interaction with nature and the source of knowledge directly. This spring I read all sorts of books about mushrooms and stil had absolutely no idea what to do when i got into the forest. Then I met my mushroom guide and it changed everything - I actually learned what to look for, when to look for it and how to navigate through the forest, how to process the mushrooms afterwards - that’s ten books combined into one day of real life experience. I will be on a look out for Pow Wows :)