Greg Archuleta: Connecting to “the Importance of Protection” of the River

Greg Archuleta (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) talks about contemporary connection to the river and its fish, as well as ongoing efforts to help conservation. 1:15.

Bio: Greg Archuleta is Clackamas Chinook, Santiam Kalapuya, and Shasta, and a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. As an artist and educator, he teaches about the culture and history of the Tribes of Western Oregon, including ethnobotany, carving, cedar hat making, Native art design, and basketry.

Transcription:

“…the reservation is about 100 miles away. So people don’t think we have a connection to the river. And that’s pretty inaccurate so we tell them stories about our connection to the river and how we have those cultural and historic ties, but also a contemporary connection to the river. And we share about the plants and things that’ll you find. How the river’s important for the fisheries, salmon, steelhead, the smelt. The eel, the sturgeon. So we kinda talk about those and how they’re important. And we also try to connect to, as part of that, the importance of protection. The damage that’s been done to the river that we’re trying to change. And the tribes are very active in that. And what them, as young people, what opportunities they have to help improve things like the water quality and things like that.”

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