Embark on a Journey of Renewal: Salmon Ceremony Oral Histories Revealed in Interactive Exhibit

Written by Josh Madrone on . Posted in Events, General

Event date and time: Arts Alive, Saturday April 6 from 6pm to 9pm
Location: Humboldt County Visitors Bureau, 422 1st St, Eureka
Event organizer: Humboldt Area Peoples Archive

MEDIA CONTACT

Nicole Riggs
Executive Director
Humboldt Area Peoples Archive
707.502.4585
nriggs@manifestosynergies.com

The Humboldt Area Peoples Archive announces the grand opening of its exhibit Salmon Ceremony Oral
Histories at 6:00PM, April 6th at the Humboldt County Visitors Bureau at 422 1st St in Eureka. This
exhibit invites visitors to delve into the intricate interplay between activism, environmental
stewardship, and cultural collaboration. The evening will commence with special speeches by Nicole
Riggs, Executive Director of the Humboldt Area Peoples Archive, and Ruth Wortman, Cultural Coordinator
with the Bear River Band, promising an unforgettable experience for all attendees. This exhibit explores
the revitalization of the Salmon Ceremony by the Bear River Band at the mouth of the Mattole River in
Petrolia. The Bear River Band consists of seven federally recognized tribes: Wiyot, Nongatl, Whilkut,
Sinkiyone, Lassic, Bear River, and Mattole.

The exhibit includes the voices of Ruth Wortman and Barry Brenard, Cultural Coordinators for the
Bear River Band, speaking about the meaning of the Salmon Ceremony which existed for generations before
falling away in 1958 during the termination era. In recent decades, the Bear River Band has taken steps
to revitalize its culture.

Since 1980, the Mattole Salmon Group, a local environmental nonprofit, has been working in the river
to restore salmon habitat and populations which were negatively impacted from exploitative land
management. They realized early on that in order to bring the salmon back from the brink of extinction
for all peoples, there was a need to combine the spiritual connection of the indigenous people with
Salmon together with science-based habitat and population enhancement activities they conducted.

In 2021, a collaborative effort developed between the Bear River Band and the Mattole Salmon Group,
leading to the revitalization of the Salmon Ceremony. Every year in the fall, wild Mattole chinook and
coho salmon migrate into the river to spawn when the river breaches the sand bar, generally in November.
In April, steelhead salmon come in to spawn. At both times, juvenile salmon make their way into the
ocean to mature for several years. Both events are celebrated in the Bear River Band Salmon Ceremony.

The Humboldt Area Peoples Archive developed the interactive exhibit in collaboration with the Bear
River Band, Stacy Schaefer PhD, Ai Iwane, the Mattole Salmon Group and the Humboldt County Visitors
Bureau. The exhibit will be open to the public Tuesday to Friday 12PM-4PM until the end of June at
the Humboldt County Visitors Bureau, 422 1st St in Eureka. The Humboldt Area Peoples Archive (HAPA)
collects, preserves and makes accessible the histories of counterculture and back-to-the-land in
Humboldt and Northern California from the 1960s to now. Learn more at https://humboldtareaarchive.org/

2023 Salmon Ceremony

Written by Josh Madrone on . Posted in Events, General

Calling the Salmon Home Autumn/Winter
at the BLM Lighthouse Campground in Petrolia, CA

November 18 – 19, 2023

Dances start at Noon both days

Please bring a potluck dish to share!

On-site practice & dance ground setup November 17 @ 2 PM

Transportation is available for participants upon request

Barry Brenard (707) 499-3322 | Ruth Wortman (707) 672-2004

Help build Salmon Floating Structures Saturday

Written by Josh Madrone on . Posted in Events, General

Building floating shade structures in 2022

The Mattole Salmon Group and the Bear River Band are assembling driftwood and willow structures this Saturday, August 26, 2023, at 10 AM to help protect juvenile salmon hanging out at Stansberry Creek.  Come join us – no special skills needed.  If you have loppers bring them to cut 1” willows shoots.

For more information, call 707-eight three 4 – five 34 zero.

Building floating shade structures in 2022

2019 MSG Retreat

Written by dbux on . Posted in Events, General

We recently completed our 2019 retreat, which was a great success. This year we had presentations on strategic planning (and process) from our sister organizations MRC and Sanctuary Forest, and a field trip to visit a couple of project sites. Our planned float down the river was cancelled due to high water.

Lots of engaged participation of our staff, board, and other interested members of the community. This was the first MSG retreat lead by Richard Sykes, our new executive director.

22nd Annual 2017 Mattole Summer Steelhead Dives

Written by Josh Madrone on . Posted in Events, General

About the Dives
The 2017 Mattole Summer Steelhead Dive will be Friday, July 7th and Saturday, July 8th.  Conducted annually since 1996, this watershed-wide survey is our primary source of information on the abundance and distribution of adult summer-run steelhead, and also provides information on the distribution of other native and non-native aquatic species.
We are excited to host this year’s dives at the beautiful A.W.Way county park. We will have a camp site reserved with limited tent space available for Friday and Saturday night. This year we are asking divers for a $5-10 donation to help us offset the costs of camping and day-use fees. There are flush toilets, hot showers and an awesome swimming hole!

Please RSVP by Friday, June 30th.  The RSVP date helps us to make everything run smoother for scheduling, so we appreciate your help in responding as soon as possible.

Complete the RSVP Questionnaire by clicking the link below

RSVP Questionnaire

Friday, July 7:  We will meet at A.W.Way county park (directions below) at 8:00 a.m. Please do not be late. We will have coffee and pastries, and gear for those who have reserved it.

Saturday, July 8:  We will meet at A.W. Way County Park at 8:00 a.m. When you are done diving, bring all gear and data sheets back to the park where we will host a BBQ for all of our volunteers!

Tentative Itinerary (Times are subject to change.)
Thursday, July 6th
12:00PM – Overnight camping becomes available at A. W. Way Park
Friday, July 7th
8:00AM – All Participants meet at A. W. Way; Breakfast and Coffee
8:15AM – 9:00AM Welcome, Introduction, Safety Protocol, Gear Distribution, Shuttle Information
9:00AM-5:00PM Summer Steelhead Dives
5:00PM Meet at A. W. Way to collect data sheets and relax at the camp site
Saturday, July 8th
8:00AM – All Participants meet at A. W. Way; Breakfast and Coffee
8:15AM – 9:00AM Welcome, Introduction, Safety Protocol, Gear Distribution, Shuttle Information
9:00AM-5:00PM Summer Steelhead Dives
5:00PM –  Collect Data Sheets, Gear, etc.; BBQ at A. W. Way Park for Summer Steelhead Divers.
Sunday, July 9th
12:00PM – Campsite check-out time, A. W. Way Park
Gear:
Gear Needed:
  • Mask and Snorkel
  • Dive/Wading Boots
  • Hood and gloves for colder, upriver reaches
  • Wet Suit
  • Dry Bag/Waterproof Container for your lunch (IMPORTANT).
  • Small Daypack
Please bring your own gear if you have it!  Decontaminate any gear you bring prior to arriving for the Summer Steelhead Dives.  The MSG does have limited gear, but it is always at a premium for the SSD due to how many great divers we have every year (THANK YOU!). Our gear will be available on a first come first serve basis depending on when you RSVP and sign up. We will let you know prior to the dives  if we cannot accommodate your gear needs. If you have extra gear you would be willing to loan to other divers, PLEASE bring it.
If you do need gear, you need to let us know ahead of time by completing the RSVP questionnaire.  Please do not show up and assume we will have gear for you.
There is no pre-dive training this year, but please thoroughly read over our training packet attached before you arrive to the dives.
Camping Logistics:
If you are camping please bring your own gear and cooking supplies. Please bring your own lunches for and Saturday in a waterproof container, dinner for Thursday night, Friday night, and any additional food you may need. A light breakfast is provided each day, but please bring additional food if you need it.
To reduce waste, please bring your own drinking and eating utensils and plates for the BBQ.
First-come first-serve camping is also available at the BLM campground at Mattole Beach.
Fill up your vehicle up with gas prior to the dives in either Garberville, Fortuna, or Eureka. There are general stores with gas and some groceries in Petrolia and Honeydew, but hours and selection are limited – come prepared with food and gas.
Directions to A.W. Way County Park:
Coming from the South: on Hwy 101, take the South Fork/Honeydew exit (22 miles north of Garberville) turn left onto the Mattole road, entering Humboldt Redwoods State Park, after 22 miles you will cross a green spanning bridge over the Mattole, take a right after the bridge and follow the Mattole road for another 8 miles, the park is on your left hand side.
Coming from the North: From Ferndale, turn right onto Bluff street/Ocean Ave and your first left onto Wildcat Ave/Mattole road. Take this for 36 miles, the park will be on your right.

I know it will be an amazing time, thank you all for making our annual dive possible, and look forward to seeing you soon! Please don’t hesitate to email me if you have questions!

Feel free to forward this information to anyone you think may be interested in helping with the Mattole Dives this year!
Mattole Salmon Group

2015 Summer Steelhead Dive – July 17-18th!

Written by Mattole Salmon on . Posted in Events, General, Surveys

The 2015 Mattole summer steelhead dive will be Friday July 17th and Saturday July 18th.  Conducted annually since 1996, this watershed-wide survey is our primary source of information on the abundance and distribution of adult summer-run steelhead, and also provides information on the distribution of other native and non-native aquatic species. For more information check out our Summer Steelhead Dive page.

We are excited to host this year’s dives again at the beautiful A.W.Way county park. We will have a camp site reserved with limited tent space available for Friday and Saturday night. We will be asking divers for a $5-10 donation to help us offset the costs of camping and day-use fees. There are flush toilets, hot showers and an awesome swimming hole!

For more information and to sign up, please contact Michelle Dow (michelle@mattolesalmon.org).

PLEASE RSVP by July 7th.