Press Release from the Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe • Hoopa Valley Tribe • Swiftwater Films:
Bring the Salmon Home Tells Story 20 years in the making
Klamath River Basin (Calif. and Ore.) – Bring the Salmon Home is a new short documentary by Swiftwater Films. The film chronicles Klamath River tribal communities’ 320-mile relay run from the redwood-shrouded mouth of the Klamath River in Northern California to the headwater springs in the high mountain desert of southeastern Oregon. Along the way, toddlers, grandmothers, and everyone in between takes their turns running along the age-old path of migrating salmon as they pray, build solidarity, and raise awareness around efforts to restore their river and protect their culture.
The Klamath Salmon Run has been held every year since the 2002 fish kill which left tens of thousands of adult salmon dead along the banks of the lower Klamath River. “The fish kill was a traumatic event for my generation,” says event organizer and Yurok Tribe member Annelia Hillman. “Many of us vowed back then to fight for our river, our fish, and our culture. The Salmon Run is one way we organize within our own small communities while raising awareness all across the world.”
Hoopa Tribal member Tasha Norton was a high school freshman back in 2002. “After the fish kill, we had to do something. To see our elders so sad was heartbreaking. So, a few friends and I decided to start the Salmon Run. We didn’t know what else to do. I am so pleased that it's still going nearly 20 years later!”
The hard work of these activists is starting to pay off. Federal regulators just released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the plan to remove the lower four Klamath River dams; the analysis strongly endorses dam removal. Construction crews are ready to launch into action as soon as regulators issue final approvals for the dam removal project, expected late this year.
Bring the Salmon Home features members of the Yurok, Hoopa, Karuk, and Klamath Tribes praying, running, and working together as they have since time immemorial to steward the Klamath Basin. The cinematography captures the epic vistas and diverse landscapes of the area along with the optimism and hope of its people. It’s the second in a series of short films about the Klamath Basin that will culminate in a full-length documentary feature that will tell the story of how the Tribal communities and others fought to bring the Klamath River back to health.
Film maker Shane Anderson noted, “The commitment these folks have to restore their river and the love they have for their communities is overwhelming. I feel very privileged for the opportunity to work with Salmon Run participants and organizers to create this film.”
To watch the film and learn more about the effort to remove Klamath River dam, see www.bringthesalmonhome.org
Media Contacts:
Craig Tucker, consultant, Karuk Tribe, 916.207.8294
Matt Mais, Public Relations Manager, Yurok Tribe, 707.954.0976
Jason Jackson-Reed, Executive Administrative Assistant, Hoopa Valley Tribe, 530.784.3445
Allie Hostler, Trinity Coordinator for Klamath Salmon Run, 707.492.2851