For decades, the small village of Ruby relied on the rich, fatty chinook salmon for sustenance, a tradition rooted in Koyukon Athabascan culture. However, the past two decades have seen a drastic decline in their population due to climate change and industrial fishing practices. While the community has adapted by processing smaller chum salmon, the closures on fishing and the dwindling chinook stocks remind them of their cultural connections to the Yukon River and their ancestors' sustainable practices.
As a symbol of resilience and adaptation, Katie Kangas embodies the intergenerational knowledge passed down through her family. The processes of catching, cutting, and preserving salmon not only sustain physical needs but also preserve cultural heritage. Kangas teaches her children and grandchildren the connection to the natural world, emphasizing the importance of the cottonwood trees that signal the arrival of chinook salmon, fostering both ecological awareness and familial bonds.
Collection
[
|
...
]