Salmon Run

After a choir gig this morning in Vancouver (Washington, not Canada) I wandered into a small public square with a large (69 foot high) clock tower as its prominent feature. This salmon is a portion of the tower, which literally tells the story of the Chinook tribe's relationship to the fish. Beginning at noon and then every couple of hours through the day, a Glockenspiel diorama emerges from the tower on a regular schedule to depict via animation and recorded voice, a story of the Chinook Indians. I happened to be there right at noon; I heard the story emerge but admit that I missed the animation (which I learned about later), being so focused on getting photos. So much for the observant artist!

Salmon were an integral part of the lives of Columbia River tribes, so it's no surprise there are creation stories based on salmon. Surrounding the tower are a number of basalt stones with bits of some stories etched into them, such as: The Chinook Indians ... believed the Spirits of the Ancestors were embodied within the Salmon that brought great benefit to the people.

This tower is challenging to photograph - there are so many parts that make up the whole, and a photo of the tower as a whole just doesn't capture the magic of it. I've collected some photos in a slideshow to show some of the elements.

I love being reminded that the First People's relationship with Nature and with the food that nurtured them was, for the most part, sacred and sustainable. I grieve for their lost culture and wisdom. Through art and stories like this (and the whale bones we saw last week at Newport) we can understand what the dominant culture is doing to the Earth and how much we need these stories to guide the way.