Through Salmon Eyes

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

This activity tells a story through the eyes of a salmon, as told by Indigenous tribes of the Northwest. It celebrates traditional knowledge and how humans can think about the natural world through the view point of salmon.

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Notes from our reviewers

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This lesson could be an excellent addition to salmon, water, and ecosystem lessons. Teachers should explore the teacher's guide to see what the other lessons and resources have to offer. Consider playing the games and books described in the lesson to further engage students after watching the video. Consider prefacing the video with a description of what Indigenous costumes look like, so that younger kids are not scared when they first see the salmon costume.
This lesson focuses on Indigenous Peoples' relationship to salmon and how to respect the environment that sustains them. While it does not offer Western science perspective, the Traditional Ecological Knowledge featured is equally important. The lesson teaches about the culture of the Tribes of the Northwest, as well as the connection between land, water, animals, plants. It also teaches about negative impacts of human pollution and resource management. Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.