The Puyallup Tribal News covered the tribe’s First Fish ceremony yesterday:
Tribal members gathered along the Puyallup River for the annual First Fish Ceremony May 12. About 40 people were gathered around awaiting the fishermen to return with their catch. Traditionally salmon was the main food for the Tribe and an important object of respect in the Puyallup ceremonies. …The ceremony was led by tribal elder Dobie Tom, who shared stories from his past and spoke about the ancestors and the significance of the First Fish Ceremony. He said the First Fish Ceremony was to show respect to the salmon.
“The respect you have is the respect you show to them, your visitor,” Dobie Tom said. “The visitor (salmon) will go back into the Sound and tell the rest of their family how he was respected.”
