Kutala

Alevin 										Kutala 			by Taysia Handyside 	When the salmon egg is ready to hatch, the baby salmon will break free of the egg’s soft shell retaining the yolk as a nutrient-rich sac that hangs below it’s body (yolk sacks are the orange pouches underneath them) at tis stage, they are called alevin and are about one inch in length. During the next month the alevin will remain hidden in the gravel nest and feed from the nutrient-rich yolk sac until it is completely absorbed. The yolk sacks contain protein, sugar, minerals, and vitamins. These yolk sacks are known as “lunch” bags”. The “lunch bags” lasts only a month until they have to hunt for themselves! Once the “lunch bag” is gone then they start to become a fry. At this stage alevin are swimming through out the redd and surviving off their yolk sack.

Oyster River Fish Hatchery 									by Magnus Jorgensen 	A fish hatchery is a place that helps produce and raise salmon. They are doing that so they can release them back into the wild. Hatcheries are in fresh water. Fish hatcheries raise fish such as pink, steelhead, coho, chum and chinook. Fishes are raised in tanks and pens. Our local hatchery is the Oyster River hatchery in Black Creek. There are many volunteers who take care of the fish. Phil has helped us learn a lot. We are lucky to have the Coho in our classroom.

Rivers and Streams 											Wa 											Oliver Luttrell Rivers and streams are a home for salmon. Salmon need cold, clean water with lots of oxygen. Water must be moving to have oxygen. Rivers and streams provide food like insects and smaller fish. Salmon migration is necessary for the success of their species. Salmon must migrate to feed and reproduce. The estuary provides the scent of the stream. All salmon return to spawn in the stream they were born in. Spawning salmon eat themselves by absorbing their flesh. Some salmon change colour to red as they spawn.

Ocean 								By Alaina Aubin Salmon live in ocean as adults. They need clean water so they can live. Pollution and oil spills are bad for the salmon. There are some things that try to eat the salmon. They are people, seals, sea lions, whales, dolphins and bears. Salmon are carnivores. They eat insects, krill, and small fish. When salmon are in the ocean they swim around and try not to get eaten. There eyes can go backwards and forwards at the same time.

Rocks and Gravel 											Am’amayex’agwis 											By Landon Schneider Rocks can be found in the water and on land gravel can be found under water. Spawning is when two male salmon fight for a female salmon to spawn with. A redd is a salmon nest. Female salmon use their tails to dig the redd. Each redd will hold up to 4000 eggs. Rocks provide a safe place for the salmon eggs to develop by covering them up. Rocks and gravel protect and camouflage the salmon. Indigenous people used rocks as a spear head. After spawning salmon die. Before spawning salmon must avoid predators while swimming back to the exact same river or stream that they were born in. baby salmon are called alevin. Alevin do not have to struggle to find food they have something cause called a yolk sac.

Blue Heron 												Kwakwani 											By Koa Neufeld 	Blue Herons eat salmon as a staple of their food. Blue herons like salmon because it is energy for their body. The heron likes fish that are small.Larger smolts are eaten because the heron stands in the middle of the river. They stand in the middle of the river because the middle of the river has more room to swim for the salmon to swim. heron also live near rivers and streams and they hunt in the rivers and streams. Heron poop is fish fertilizer. The poop fertilizes the water for the salmon. It makes them stay healthy. Fertilizer is good for the water. For then how the water is fresh the salmon could swim into the blue heron and get caught. The heron is good at catching the salmon but the salmon knows the heron is there. just not where. Sometimes the blue heron can be really tricky and catch a lot of salmon.

Spawning Salmon 						Tsalx’id ( to spawn) 						Kutala 						Kaitlin O’Malley Spawning salmon lay up to 5000 eggs! They can also lay 2000 so 2000-5000 it depends when they find a mate. All salmon go through a lifecycle it starts in a egg, eyed egg, aliven, fry, parr, smolt, adult, then spawning salmon adult. Once the lifecycle is over they die and the lifecycle goes over again for the eggs. Once they die eagles, bugs and lots of other stuff will use them as a food source. Spawning salmon predators are humans, otters, orcas and so many other things.

WOLVES 												u’ligan 										 												Aria Boulianne The food that wolves eat are animals like deer, hare, elk, moose and bison. One of the wolves charge for the throat and other ones attack after. They usually hunt in packs. The wolf eats the head of the salmon. Other animals eat the rest of the salmon body. Wolves poop out the salmon and fertilize the forests. Wolves don’t have that many predators but they have to be careful of the bears of various species because they will kill wolf pups. The wolf symbolizes intelligence, loyalty, and good communication here on the west coast. Indigenous people use wolf hides for blankets and clothing.

Cedar Dixw ( yellow cedar) Kwaka’ni ( red cedar) Cedar is helped by salmon. Salmon rot into the soil to help the cedar to grow. Indigenous people can use the cedar. The cedar borrows off salmon and the salmon fertilize the cedar at the end of their life cycle. Salmon are a symbol of fertility and renewal for our local Indigenous people. There are two types of cedar one yellow and one red. Indigenous people used cedar bentwood boxes to put water in and use it for cooking fish, stew or soup. They use cedar for bowls and for drying salmon on cedar racks and use cedar to make smoking skewers. They use cedar to make nets woven from cedar. Cedar can also be used for handles for fishing and tools to cut up salmon to get rid of all of the parts they don’t need. by Cael

Eagle 												Kwikw 											By Maya Lockett 	Eagles need talons so they can catch salmon and so they can lift up the animal to their hide out. Eagles usually hunt on small things or almost the size of them. When eagles build a nest they guard it so no other eagles come in, and so they can protect their little ones. Eagles make huge nests! Eagles are very fast flyers so they can swoop down and catch salmon! Eagles are related to hawks and vultures. A female eagle lays three eggs over a period of a week. In winter eagles collect a lot of salmon because in the winter the adult salmon die so it is easy for the eagles. Indigenous people sometimes wore feathers on their head because they think that each feather stood for a brave deed. Eagles eat salmon and bears eat salmon. Salmon eat bugs. Indigenous people eat salmon and sometimes eagle. Eagles are amazing hunters. There are a couple types of eagles. Adult eagles have a white neck and a brown body, and a white tail.

Fry 									Charlie Napera-Radford The fry is the third stage of the salmon life cycle. Fry are between 2.5 and 4.5 centimetres long. Fry are a greenish brown colour and have stripes on their sides. They change colour to camouflage into their stream environment. They try and look like weeds and sticks that they hide behind. Fry stay in the river for usually about 6 months but Coho and Chinook stay in the stream for 18 months. Fry eat larvae, nymphs and plankton. Fry have to escape their predators such as birds like the blue heron and larger fish.

Bears 												Tla’yi 												By Rio 	The bear is an important animal for the indigenous people. Indigenous people use bear hides for clothing, blankets, and ceremonies. Salmon is a food source for bears. Bears eat salmon that turns into scat which fertilizes the forest. The bear represents strength, family, vitality, courage and health to the indigenous people. When bears eat the salmon then birds and other animals could feed off of the left overs.

WATER 												Damsxi 											By Aspyn Christian Water is very important to salmon. If there was no water, salmon wouldn’t be alive. And if salmon weren’t alive, a lot of animals would die. That’s why water is so important. Not just for salmon, but for every animal in the world. Salmon don’t need plain water, they need special water. They need oxygenated water, running water, and cold water. Salmon live most of their adult lives in the ocean (damsxi ) before they go to spawn and die (depending on what type of salmon it is). Salmon are very smart. Salmon use their sense of smell to return to the river (wa) they were born in. The Kwakwaka’wakw people believe that rivers are powerful beings that long ago existed in both the human and spirit worlds.

Kwakwak’wakw people 											By Daxtyn 	Kwakwak’wakw people used salmon as a food source. Salmon is very important to Kwakwak’wakw people. Kwakwak’wakw people hunt for the food they need when they get hungry. Kwakwak’wakw people take care of each other when they are in danger. Kwakwak’wakw people are kind, caring, protective, and careful. Kwakwak’wakw people take what they need when they need it.

Kwakwaka'wakw Traditions & Culture

Salmon 											Kutala 											By Hudson Salmon usually eat krill or smaller fish or shrimp. I will give you some other ones like alga and squid. Some of the salmon’s top predators are wolves and bears or eagles. Salmon live in between 2 and 8 years. Salmon will never spawn with the wrong type of salmon. Salmon die shortly after laying all of their eggs. The salmon’s body gives other animals food. If not the body will rot away and fertilize the soil.

Seals 	Migwat 						Halle Girard Salmon are a food source for seals. Some seals are spotted. Baby harp seals are all white. Seals live in the Arctic and in North America and South America. Seals control salmon numbers. Seals catch salmon in rivers, estuaries and in the ocean. Seal pelts were used by Indigenous people to make water proof jackets and boots. Seals prey upon squid, salmon, and flounder.

Raven 											Gwa’wala 										 By Reece 	Ravens are really intelligent and smart especially for catching prey. Ravens can fly at about 1-2 km per hour. Ravens are good hunters with their dark feathers at night. Ravens can see decently in the dark. Ravens eat salmon and worms. Ravens swoop down to get salmon out of the water and washed up salmon on the shore. Ravens build nests in trees and lay eggs in their nest. KWAKWAK,WAK people believe the raven represents power, and intelligence. Ravens have wings to soar through the air. Many Indigenous communities have legends about ravens and salmon. Salish people believe that returning salmon bones to the river will return the salmon every year.

The Salmon Diet 							By Liam Salmon eat different things depending on how old they are. The alevins eat their yolk sacs. The fry eat plankton and tiny insects. In our classroom we had to feed the alevin and fry fish food. Hatchery fish eat fish food and pellets. Smolts eat shrimp and crustaceans. The adult salmon eat squid, eels, and other fish. Salmon are predators because they have teeth and they catch other little animals. Spawning salmon stop eating and become food for other animals.

Trees Kwaxala By Halia Roland Trees and salmon have a connection. Tree roots, the branches, the trunk and really big chunks of bark all provide shelter for salmon, mostly baby salmon. Trees provide shade for salmon because they need really cold water to survive. If the water’s too hot they‘ll die. Big trees cover up the stream so predators can’t see the stream to come and catch salmon while spawning. Dead salmon help trees grow tall. The trees suck up the salmon nutrients. The nutrients help the trees grow. The indigenous people used cedar parts to make tools to catch the salmon for food. So salmon and trees have a big connection.

Orcas 		Max’inux 											By Paige Vandale There are different types of whales like the gray whale, narwhal, fin whale, blue whale, beluga whale, and orca. Orcas and salmon both love little fish and did you know that baby orcas eat salmon fry? Orcas are a type of a whale. Orcas are endangered because the water is getting polluted. Orcas are a predator to salmon. Indigenous people like to eat orca. Orcas are harmless creatures unless they are scared. Orcas like to stay away from shore because they are as scared like us, like we are of them. Orcas have a blow hole to breathe with. Orcas are black and white. Orcas can die really easily. It is sad! Some whales have teeth and some don’t. Orcas do. Orcas are a part of the dolphin family.

Credits The salmon project was the amazing work of a great Division 6 team of authors and illustrators. Thanks to Rio Alix, Alaina Aubin, Aria Boulianne, Aspyn Christian, Daxtyn Churchill, Halle Girard, Taysia Handyside, Liam Harrison, Cael Howell, Magnus Jorgensen, Maya Lockett, Myra Lothian, Oliver Luttrell, Hudson McGrath, Reece McMahon, Charlie Napera-Radford, Koa Neufeld, Kaitlin O’Malley, Halia Roland, Landon Schneider and Paige Vandale. Special thanks to Reece and Oliver for their fabulous tech skills that helped us create this amazing project. We are grateful to our fabulous project support team of Jason Cobey, Sheila Fairbank, Sara Vandermale, Samantha Lytle and Corrine Gailloux.

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