The tribes of the Pacific Northwest region see the salmon as a gift.  It is viewed that the salmon gift their bodies to the people, providing substance, health, and a means to make a living.  The ritual of the “Ceremony of First Fruit” or “Gifting Ceremony” is performed with the catch of the first salmon indicating the start of the salmon season.  For the Klamath River tribe, the ceremony consists of four stages.  Stage one is the catching of the first salmon who is viewed as a “dignitary of the Salmon People” (Herron, 2021).  This salmon is brought to village to start the second phase of the ceremony, the salmon is celebrated with “formalities of song, dance, and proper ordering of various sort” (Herron).  Next the step is that the salmon is prepared in a specific way and then shared among the tribe.  Lastly, remains of the salmon are returned to the river.

            The above ceremony varies from tribe to tribe in the region, there are some constant themes, such as, respect for the salmon, returning of the remains to the water from which the salmon came, and sharing of the salmon with tribal members.  This last theme is highly important to the Quinault tribe. Each fisherman of the Quinault tribe must share their first catch with the elders of the tribe.  To do otherwise is viewed as being greedy and you’re, in a manner, cursed to not catch many fish for that season (Amberson et. al., 2016).  Other variations of the ceremony may dictate which tools may be used to process the salmon, or the manner in which it is eaten.

            The sharing with the elders of the tribe and the tribe as a whole seems to stem from a feeling that all members of the tribe rely on each other.  It is clear to see that there is a strong sense of belonging and respect for each other, but also the surrounding environment.  There appears to be a connection between the sacrifice of the salmon for the people, and the sacrifice of the fishermen of sharing their catches with the tribe that is played out in this ritual.  Thus, creating a stronger sense of community.