Why the Treaty Won't Work: A closer look at the potential Yale Band Treaty.

[1959Da]

I think it is so sad that the govt has reduced our people to fight for the right to practice our inherent right to dry fish. Going up to Yale Canyon to dry fish is something I and my family have done our entire lives. My mother put me in a basket under her table when I was a baby and i did the same when my son was born 28 years ago. My uncle passed down the right to use the fishing grounds in Yale to my brother oldest of the boys this he did by bringing him to our chief and asked him to witness.

[1959Da]

Our mother taught us to follow the seasons the time to pick berries the time to can/dry fish for the winter when you smoked fish for the winter. when it was time to hunt game, when the eulachons arrived and when they left on the first thunder storm. To be able to practice the right to dry fish is one of the last things we can do that the federal govt has not taken away from our people and one of the last ties we share with our ancestors. This is what we do as a family this is whar we were taught

[1959Da]

There is a reason why that area is used for drying fish and that is because the wind blows thru the canyon almost continuely first it blows east then in the later part of the day it blows west and it is a dry wind and fish can be dry literally in days if it does not rain. The stewart run is the leanest of the salmon so it will dry faster. June and July is best because the flies and bees are scarce the flies can ruin the meat and the bees carry it away making this place and time important to Dry