November 22, 2010 by Alexis Baker

We are Wild Salmon People. Joined together for now and always in spirit in the actions we have shared. In that we are grateful and have a brighter hope for the future. May we stand together again and grow our circles.

Please know that this coming together was the manifestation of many people and was only possible because of the GIVING along the way.  Some people may think that Salmon Are Sacred is a well-funded organization, but please know that we only have what regular folks have given and rely solely on small donations and t-shirt sales.  Alexandra Morton is a volunteer, we have no offices, and any money that was received along the way was spent in its entirety on food and basics that were needed. Many people gave from their own pockets to contribute to the magic of our success. The media coverage and messages that were spread will not only continue to ripple, but the movement of people taking a stand to protect their homes is growing and is empowered by our example.
Furthermore, we express Gratitude to all those people who participated in the 2010 Spring GET OUT Migration down the length of Vancouver Island and whose voices sounded for our wild salmon.  It is because of your efforts that this came into being.
In gratitude and reference, to acknowledge and further connect the spirit and efforts of the people that made this possible we have compiled this list of people in Chronological order who are truly Wild Salmon Heroes.

Painting to commemorate the Paddle For Wild Salmon by: Raz and Ken Skoda


Dave Wooldridge of Ridge Wilderness ( http://www.ridgewilderness.com/ ) lent us all of the canoes, making the trip even possible.

Sue and Darwin Baerg of Fraser River Raft Expeditions (http://www.fraserraft.com/ ) donated their time, their vessel, their fuel, and their knowledge of the river so that all the paddlers were safe the whole time. Salmon Heroes indeed! Their son Will also was also a skipper on one of the canoes. Much gratitude also for rafting us safely through Hell's Gate.

Chief Rhoda Peters and the Chawathil Nation generously hosted us for our first night in Hope, making sure the Paddle started off with a great hot meal, lots of singing, dancing, and laughter.
Thanks also goes toShane John whose family donated our firewood and who helped set up camp, and the women who made the meals for all those travelers. It was wonderful. Chief Rhoda Peters also brought councillor Bobby Peters many family and community members on the paddle bringing the spirit of Hope all the way through to the finish.
Chief Bob Chamberlin came all the way from Nanaimo to show solidarity and support on our first night.
 
The morning of departure National Chief Shawn Atleo, of the Assembly of First Nations took time from his extremely busy schedule to stand united with the wild salmon people and drum us into our canoes. His words were inspiring to begin our journey.

Grand Chief Clarence Pennier, President of the Stó:lō Tribal Council also took time from his busy schedule to paddle with the Wild Salmon People.

The first stop for the paddlers was at Cheam Beach. June Quipp and her sister Genevieve made a lunch of wild salmon for at least 70 hungry paddlers and moved us with their words about what the river and the salmon mean to their people. June is the former Chief of the Cheam Nation and a participant in the Cohen Inquiry.

Barry Gannon and his team from Hope Search and Rescue stood guard over us on that first leg of the journey on the river from Hope to the Skwah Slough.

Chief Jack Mussell and Councillors Steve Williams and Dean Williams of the Skwah First Nation were generous hosts on the evening of the 20th; Eddie Gardner and Sadie McPhee received an abundance of potatoes and carrots from Kokopelli Produce in Chilliwack; Eddie Gardner and Sadie McPhee also donated 20 wild sockeye salmon which the Williams boys BBQ’d for the salmon feast at Skwah. The women, led by Beverly Williams, cooked up the bannock, potatoes and carrots. We were warmly received by Chief Jack Mussell and Skwah Nation drummers and singers. The Band welcomed us like family and gave full use of their hall. It was nice to have a dry warm place to sleep.

Michelle Mungall MLA Nelson-Creston traveled down and took time from her busy schedule to stand and paddle as a wild salmon person.

Chief Alice McKay of the Matsqui Nation and her governing council and band staff welcomed the Paddle for the Salmon and provided a massive hot meal for supper and then breakfast the next day. It was certainly a lot of cooking for every hosting Nation each night, but we happened to catch that these women (and one man!) started cooking at 6 in the evening before, and we ate at five the next day. It was really good to feel the warm welcome and wholehearted support for the Paddle for the Wild Salmon and the message it gave to the Cohen Commission that we want the salmon feedlot disease records released. They also opened their Community Home to the paddlers, transporting them to and from the launch site in their band van.

On the morning of our departure from Matsqui,Lorna Prette did all the paddlers the honour of smudging both the canoes and all the participants who stood at the riverbanks, well-wishers, singers, paddlers, ground crew. Lorna’s sage, spirit and generosity and much more was an amazing example of the generosity of time and spirit.

The smudge followed a great talk where we all learned about traditional protocol from a Squamish man who advised the uninitiated about how to respectfully enter another Nation’s territory. Since the Paddle would not have been possible without the generosity of each Nation, we wanted to show our thanks and respect as best as we possibly could. Aaron Williams not only sang us all the way down the river, he made sure we could be proud of the way we arrived at each generous hosting Nation, Aaron shared his knowledge with us openly, and he made it lots of fun.  Aaron is a natural leader.

Brian Gunn, president of the Wilderness Tourism Association and Myrna Gunn took time from their busy schedules to come and paddle and volunteer as ground crew.

Willie Pierre of the Katzie Nation generously hosted all 80 of us camped in his yard overnight, provided warmth, music, and good weather for the following day, it was an honour to stand with you Willie Pierre.

Juno Winner and fabulous musician Bill Bourne flew out from Alberta to join us as a paddler and to keep our hearts warm with music.

On the morning of the 23^rd of October, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs and his wife Joan Phillips put on their paddling gloves in part of their long term support and inspiration as Wild Salmon advocates.

Fin Donnelly- MP for Coquitlam-New West Minster and Port Moody took time from his busy schedule to stand and paddle as a Wild Salmon supporter and to continue raising awareness that we need closed containment for salmon feedlots.

We Thank The Qayqat Nation for welcoming us on Saturday in New Westminster.

Michael Sathers- MLA for Maple Ridge- Pitt Meadows took time from his busy schedule to paddle and stand as a wild salmon advocate.

Spencer Chandra Herbert- MLA for Vancouver-West End took time from his busy schedule to paddle and stand as a wild salmon advocate.

Chief Ernie Campbell and the Musqueam Nation, Henry Charles, Jill Campbell, Rose Point, and Terry Point and many more people from Musqueam including all the cooks, and speakers, as well as the Musqueam Aboriginal Fisheries officers escorted us once we entered Musqueam territory from under the Port Mann Bridge in true welcoming fashion.  The Musqueam generously fed us and hosted us at the hall.  Again we were treated like family and the warm community hall was a welcome refuge on the stormiest night of the Paddle.  We were moved by the singing and drumming that night.

Former Chief Darren Blaney of the Hamalco Nation near Campbell River crossed the Salish Sea from Nanaimo to Vancouver with a traditional canoe. Joining them was a traditional dugout canoe with Marika Swan from the Tlaoquiaht Nation on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Together these two canoes crossed the Salish Sea with the guided assistance from Captain Ron from Sea King Adventures in Victoria.  Captain Ron stayed with us until the end as a support and safety vessel.

The Squamish Nation welcomed us with much needed hot coffee and food  after the paddle from Jericho to Vanier (short but very cold and wet!) before our walk in the pouring rain over  the Burrard Bridge, to the Cohen Commission where we showed the sacred elk scroll, signed by salmon heroes throughout the Fraser River, to Justice Cohen.

At the Vancouver Art Gallery Rally Chief Ian Campbell, Mandy Nahanee, Chris Lewis, Marrissa Nahanee, and many passionate salmon guardians traveled hundreds of kilometres to stand united and ask for disease data including Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Chief Marilyn Baptiste, Margo French, Chief Bob Chamberlin, Billy Proctor, Tria Donaldson and Brian Gunn.

Chief Marilyn Baptiste, her niece Marie, and her elder Gilbert Solomon traveled all the way down from Fish Lake when they had another consuming battle as well, but paddled, walked and stood as Wild Salmon People. They are an inspiration. Congratulations on the news that Prosperity Mines will not be using your Fish Lake to dispose of mine tailings.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertsonand his wife Amy Robertson made the time in their busy schedules to paddle on the morning of October 25^th as well as City Councillor Ellen Woodsworth

Neil Shearer skippered a very impressive small sailing ship as a support and safety boat, Island Roamer from Bluewater Adventures (http://www.bluewateradventures.ca/) with many volunteer crew-members aboard.

Chief Bob Chamberlin and Chief Wesley Glaser of the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk  came out in full force at several stops along the way, and Chief Bob Chamberlin led the paddlers and some 400 other people through downtown Vancouver and led a song outside of the Cohen Commission building, where traffic was stopped as some five hundred people expressed that they will be watching this public inquiry, that wild salmon are essential to life in BC and that we demanded on that day and still demand today, the release of the disease data from fish farms. Chief Chamberlin got our point across - when he shouted” NO!” the crowd shouted “FISH FARMS”

Eddie Gardner of the Skwah Nation provided not only guidance and salmon, but taught us songs and sang the whole way, fuelling the minds and hearts of the paddlers on each day. Eddie was a real leader for the paddlers, leading us in song, talking to us about salmon feedlots and generally being wonderful all the time.

Many voices sang each day and night, a really beautiful end to everyday.

Ryan Lake, Chris Gadsen, Anissa Reed,Laurie Watt, Rod Marining,Carly Reisig, Sabra Woodsworth, Alexis Baker, Nicole MacKay and Spencer Grimm were amongst the tireless volunteer ground crew/support vehicle crew. Without them, we would have had no signs, t-shirts set up to sell, information pamphlets to hand out to people, or anyone to take down camp after the paddlers left for the day. They held this entire effort together because it does boil down to thankless logistics and they were all amazing!

Carl Chaplin generously and beautifull donated his time and skills to create most of the posters.

Leanne Hodges ( http://www.leannehodges.com/ )was the fabulous artist who donated talent, resources and time to make the oh so beautiful postcards " Calling the Wild Salmon People- October 25".

Kate Brauer and Darryl Luscombe made an amazing effort bringing “suits for salmon” to the rally!

Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright from the Artist Response Team along with their sound guy Rob Esch (www.hollyarntzen.ca )were phenomenal as always with their salmon inspired music and support for rally logistics at the Art Gallery donating a lot of personal time and resources.

The Western Canada Wilderness Committee dedicated their time, resources and and staff to the October 25th rally, going postering and making fliers and concentrating on rally logistics. The Wilderness committee has a hand in a lot of good things happening these days! Tria Donaldson in particular was over from Victoria to spread word about the rally days in advance and came out to add festive cheer to each evening on the paddle once we hit Musqueam.

Celia Brauer expertly organised a big day of salmon celebration for October 24th at Jericho beach, where the paddlers arrived. It was a powerful day and she did an amazing job.

Laura Finch donated much time, energy, personal resources and talent for rebel rousing and gathering people together always for the slamon, and this rally and after party were no exception.

Jay Peachy, (http://jpeachygallery.com/) Laura Finch, and many volunteers help to organise the W2 event, bringing art, music and creativity to end our journey with.

Elena Edwards had the vision for this Paddle and along with Don Staniford, fearlessly and dynamically made it happen. Elena worked tirelessly on manifesting her vision of the paddle, and once it was underway she did everything she could to keep the great wheels of such a huge production running.

Don Staniford is completely committed to protecting wild salmon from salmon feedlots, his strength lies in his global depth knowledge of this issue and he shines in bringing people together, organizing a string of flowing events and communicating the message to the media. He works tirelessly to bring the truth of this industry to the surface around the world. Don has devoted years opposing salmon farms on an international level and has done things such as hand-delivering a letter to the King of Norway (92% of salmon farms in BC are Norwegian owned)  on behalf of the people of BC.  Don was previously working for the Pure Salmon Campaign but is now dedicating his time and personal resources to protect our wild salmon.

Anissa Reed volunteers tons of her time, brain and design skills to spread the message that Salmon Are Sacred along with being supportive on the ground when events happen.  Her business knowledge also helps develop product for donations that raise funds for Salmon Are Sacred.  She is the designer of the Wild Salmon Backbone shirts to celebrate and bring awareness to the issues of Wild Salmon and makes her living to raise her daughter and continue to fight for wild salmon. (http://www.oceanaura.com/)

Alexandra Morton is a tireless crusader for wild salmon. She is perhaps the most outspoken individual on the effects of salmon feedlots, which she does to protect her home. For her science on this she was awarded an honorary doctorate by SFU.  But government remains deaf to reason and so she is turning to all of us, the Wild Salmon People to stand up to the governments that will not protect our fish. No one pays her to do this work. In her own words, she is just "A Woman Cleaning House," you can support this woman to continue her efforts at  (http://www.alexandramorton.ca/) where you will find books, artwork, photos, t-shirts.

Salmon are Sacred is a website and a belief. Salmon are essential to all the life around them and for this reason we call them “sacred.” Any money that comes in goes to the Pacific Coast Wild Salmon Society which was formed to fund www.adopt-a-fry.org and then went on to fund a major court case that brought salmon feedlot accountability to the Federal Government.  Alex Morton and Anissa Reed are both unpaid directors of this society. All money received is spent to spread the message and take the industry to court.  We do not apply for funding from large organizations so that we keep our voices free and ready to respond. Our greatest wish is for the wild salmon and all that they feed, including us, are allowed to thrive.  This effort is a big undertaking and we thank all of you for your magnificent response to our call!

To the 100+ paddlers and skippers –We know that you share this gratitude. The paddlers took a week out of schedule to paddle as one family and went on an incredible journey together.

And lastly,to the 460 people who walked across Burrard Bridge in pouring rain on the Monday morning in the final moments of the Paddle, bringing it on land and to the forefront of the public eye and who stood together in the rain and demanded transparency and disease data from the Aquaculture Industry...It was great to take a peaceful, powerful stand with you.
Our voices will not be silenced!

Wild Salmon Paddle for Justice from Alexandra Morton on Vimeo.