Bringing the Salmon Home: The Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative

Bringing the Salmon Home: The Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative is an Indigenous-led collaboration of the Syilx Okanagan Nation, Ktunaxa Nation, Secwépemc Nation, Canada and British Columbia. Salmon have been blocked from returning to the Canadian portion of the upper Columbia River for more than 80 years. The long-term vision is to return salmon stocks for Indigenous food, social and ceremonial needs, and to benefit the region’s residents and ecosystems as a whole.  This Initiative is located in unceded Indigenous territories. Life-altering losses caused by the dams that block salmon passage have been felt foremost by the Indigenous Nations, who were excluded from Columbia River Treaty decision-making at the outset. The three Indigenous Nations uphold their sacred responsibility to reintroduce the salmon, continuing to work with their US Tribal relations and other stakeholders and allies along the river.