Day 3 - Salmon

"These hands have seen nature." 

Today the ever-sparkling and spirited UO students cleared a site where a proposed plank house for the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw will be built in the oncoming future. The day was filled with canoe adventures, new friends, hefty tools, persistent salmonberry bushes, tasty foods, and good company.

We met with our most generous hosts Margaret and Jesse at the Florence Outreach Office where we were also introduced to the Tribe's beautiful traditional canoe which we later pulled across Munsel Lake to reach the plank house site. Many grunts and laughs were had as we worked on the trail leading up to the forested area with shovels, hoes, hedge clippers, and saws. After some time of satisfying hard work of chopping down errant tree branches, uprooting rhododendrons, snipping salmon berries and ferns, we had a glorious feast! With dirtied hands and hungry hearts, we sat around the fire to a traditional salmon bake, roasted potatoes and vegetables.

While we sat around the fire salmon grease dripped from the fillets propped on cedar stakes and discussions ranged from canoe journeys to salmon-brain eating wolves. Anticipation built as stomachs rumbled and the smell of salmon wafted throughout our small camp. A prayer was shared to bless the salmon about to enter our welcoming bellies and we lined up eagerly to savor the tasty fish. After our delicious meal, so painstakingly prepared by Jesse and Margaret, we  sat around the fire a bit before packing up and canoeing home.

The moon was full and just starting to emerge behind the trees as we glided across the lake to traditional native songs sang by two of our very own womyn students. We set a new CLUS canoe record by packing in a total of 14 people! A second trip was made back as some of our most resilient fellow UO students volunteered to pull the canoe across and back to rescue a forgotten pack.


We are looking forward to spending the rest of the trip in and Coos Bay, the formal home of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw tribes!


Much Love,
Indigenous Coast Crew