Rituals and lore of the Pacific Northwest tribes demonstrates a reverence for salmon as a sacred animal.  However, there is a more secular viewpoint for celebration of the salmon, which is economic value.  In the Quinault tribe in Northwest Washington state the blueback salmon is a key source of income for some tribe members.

            The salmon offer a lifeline beyond sustenance.  Due to the remote location of the Quinault tribe, there are not many options for jobs.  The blueback salmon offer career opportunities to the members, especially those who lack a formal education, “Some of them don’t know how to read. But that’s the ones that go fishing” (Amberson et. al., 2016).  This demonstrates how salmon act as a lifeline for those who miss out on a formal education.

            Even in its role as an economic opportunity, the salmon still finds a way to act as a social cohesion. Within the Quinault tribe, “Fishing ground access is passed down from generation to generation but can also be assigned through the tribal council”, thus strengthening family and community ties (Amberson et. al., 2016).

            These strong ties are needed as the Quinault tribe is facing dwindling salmon populations.  In the past the Quinault river would see millions of salmon return to it, however, more recent numbers put their numbers under 5,000 (Amberson et. al, 2016).  The Quinault, and other Pacific Northwest tribes, have shared a symbiotic relationship with salmon for much of their existence.  The salmon have done supported these tribes in many ways, not it is up to the tribes and the wider American society’s time to setup and support the salmon, or watch their numbers head toward extinction.