Today we enjoyed breakfast provided by Sue and Darwin of Fraser River rafts.
Then we were each smudged before getting into our canoes
It was choppy crossing the river and the crews really had to pull together. We had an exciting moment when we got out of synch and the boat tipped hard. It gave me a real idea of how important the balance between us is!
Aaron Williams of the Squamish Nation gave us all a lesson on protocol. We learned to raise our paddles as we came in to signify we were not attacking, and to back our canoes in because no one can rush the beach while backing up a canoe!
As we approached we passed under the Golden Ears Bridge
Willie Pierre of Katzie sang us in beautifully as we approached.
Around the fire we each spoke about why we are here and our connections to the salmon and our communities. There are people from throughout British Columbia. There is a full moon rising and I am full of hope that there will be enough people in Vancouver to walk with us to make it clear that the salmon farmers of BC must release their disease data. It is much more than an issue about a fish. Salmon are a food source, they are an economic driver, they are ecologically essential. But all these reasons aside. If people really want something. If we tell our governments they must not take this away from us. If we say wild salmon are precious to us, that has to be enough.
Something has gotten terribly twisted that we have to prove we cannot live without salmon. Why do we have to prove their economic value? Why do we have to give something up that we love, that is spiritually important. Who decides we, the people cannot have something as good and generous as salmon?
No one, if we don’t let them
