Native American teenagers from various tribes celebrated their connection to the Klamath River by kayaking to the Pacific Ocean. As they arrived, a crowd on the beach applauded their journey after a month of paddling. The event symbolizes resilience amid declining salmon populations due to hydropower dams blocking spawning grounds. The kayakers joyfully embraced the ocean waves, illustrating their cultural ties and environmental advocacy while highlighting the impacts of infrastructure on local ecosystems.
As bright-colored kayaks push through a thick wall of fog, voices and the beats of drums build as kayakers approach a crowd that has formed on the beach.
Applause erupts as the boats land on the sandy spit that partially separates the Klamath River from the Pacific Ocean in northern California.
Native American teenagers from tribes across the river basin push themselves up and out of the kayaks and begin to cross the sand, some breaking into a sprint.
The ocean has seen fewer and fewer salmon return to it over the last century as four hydropower dams blocked their ideal spawning grounds upstream.
#klamath-river #native-american-culture #salmon-populations #environmental-restoration #hydropower-dams
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