salmon Festival Columbia style

I was invited to the First Nation Salmon celebration in Invermere right after the UBCM meeting. I feel it is important that whenever we can that we communicate with our neighbours and went to represent the CSRD. This inaugural Festival is being hosted by the Akisqnuk First Nation and Shuswap Indian Band with support from the Canadian Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Commission (CCRIFC), the Ktunaxa Nation Council, the Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partnership and the Fairmont Trails Society. The goal of the festival is to inform people about the cultural significance and history of Salmon for First Nations, and educate the public about the ongoing strategies to restore Salmon to the Upper Columbia. Many people came members from the Little Shuswap Band and the Okanagan Band were there.
First Nations have been working towards salmon restoration in the Upper Columbia since the Grand Coulee Dam was built in the early 1940’s, blocking all salmon migration to the upper Columbia River. Before this time, Salmon, were a critical source of sustenance for Ktunaxa Nation and Shuswap (Kinbasket) people. The talks of Salmon returning were of an optimistic nature and considering the physical and political challenges of bringing the Salmon back to the upper Columbia.
Many good stories were told. Salmon was last seen in the Columbia in 1932-34, the creation of large water wheels harvesting the salmon as they went up the river and dams, prevented any more salmon reaching and feeding the peoples of the Columbia. Peoples of this valley who had collected salmon from the time of the receding glaciers (10,000 years) must have been devastated. The First Nations who depended on their winter food,the salmon and finding nothing, year after year; it is unimaginable.
The Rockies, are said to be the bones of Yawo'nek (pronounced "Yehwoonik"), a great water monster whose bones were thrown up onto the banks of the river. A giant and some other animals chased the Yawo’nek to kill it as it eat everything that came into the river. At the time the Columbia River was a large circle of water that went from Invermere, Cranbook, Nelson, up the lower and upper Arrow lakes, past Revelstoke up the Great Bend and down to to Golden and back to Invermere. The monster was chased and chased round and round but they could not catch him. Finally the giant took part of the Rockies and blocked the Columbia River, where they caught the giant and killed it.
I did not get to say anything on behalf of the CSRD for a variety of reasons; the event was 2 hours late and it was raining, I waited to speak but after all the speakers talked the War Canoes came in and the speeches were cut off to have salmon and drumming It was at times almost a spiritual primeval feeling with the drumming, the canoes, coming in being welcomed, the singing and the grey foggy skies. ..