An Invocation to the Chinook of Chu Niikwan
Invocation to the Chinook of Chu Niikwan
Chu Niikwan is the great provider, the center of our ecosystem. The ways, in which this river and the watershed impact our community and way of life, are myriad and profound. My thoughts came to focus on the home and travel route the river provides to the Salmon and the Salmon that provide for the people, the animals and the forests.
These salmon are exceptional beings, the Chinook in particular. Their migration spans almost the whole length of the watershed, from the Bering Sea to the headwaters of the Nisutlin River (3142km). It is the longest salmon migration on the planet. Their population once so very plentiful has fallen drastically. Despite fishing restrictions, and the efforts and sacrifices of our First Nation peoples, the numbers have failed to recover.
This migration of miniatures is an Invocation to the Chinook of Chu Niikwan; to return to the waters of their birth. There are 183, recorded spawning sites in the watershed. A mating pair to represent these locations and dozens more of the strongest swimmers are gathered in this run. May their journey guide the Chinook home.