The sacred relationship between the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) people and wild salmon takes center stage in a powerful new documentary premiering Nov. 4 on PBS. Scha’nexw Elhtal’nexw Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life follows two Lummi families as they carry forward ancestral fishing traditions in the Pacific Northwestern United States, even as they face dwindling salmon populations that threaten their cultural survival. Through intimate portraits of Lummi fisher Tah Mahs Ellie Kinley, her late husband, Chexanexwh Larry Kinley, their family and elder Tla’kalin Ce’xen Steve Solomon, the film reveals how salmon fishing isn’t merely an activity for the Lummi people —it’s the very foundation of their identity, spirituality and connection to their ancestral waters. Trailer for the new film: Scha’nexw Elhtal’nexw Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life. Mongabay interviewed the film’s co-director, Beth Pielert, and Tah Mahs Ellie Kinley. They discuss what inspired the project, the importance of salmon to the Lummi way of life, the threats facing wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest today and their hopes for the film’s impact. Tah Mahs Ellie Kinley comes from a long line of fishers and is a passionate advocate for protecting the Salish Sea and the salmon that are integral to her tribe’s traditions and identity. Preserving this way of life for her children and grandchildren is paramount to her work. Beth “Basa” Pielert has been making documentary films for 28 years. She was approached by Darrell Hillaire, executive producer of Children of the Setting Sun Productions, a Lummi leader…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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