Kwantlen elders perform the First Salmon Ceremony

In a First Salmon Ceremony, bones from the first salmon harvest are returned to the water to honor and give thanks for their annual return. Seen here is a celebration in which the Kwantlen First Nation elders are wearing ceremonial clothing. Wikimedia.

The First Salmon Ceremony is a sacred, ancient sacrament practiced by Indigenous communities across the Pacific Northwest, Northern California, and the Columbia River basin. Held every spring, it welcomes the return of the salmon runs, expresses gratitude to the Creator and the Salmon People, and reinforces the delicate balance of ecological stewardship.