Narrative Summary (cont.)

Who We Are

We are Native leaders within the region defined by the Pacific Salmon runs of North America.  We are women and we are men with similarities and differences.  Our backgrounds vary from having received a traditional upbringing to having been raised apart from our traditional culture, only to return to it later in our life.  Our ancestral heritages are diverse, with deep Native roots, as well as European links (see Table 6 for a listing of the heritages with which we are related).  We are a mix of democratically elected leaders, community activists, organizational leaders, and scholars.  We are all dedicated to protecting, preserving and restoring our Native cultures and the planet.

Table 6
Personal heritages cited by participants

Ahtna

Irish

Spanish

Aleut

Muckleshoot

Squaxin

Althsetnay

Nez Perce

Stillaguamish

Athabascan

Norwegian

Swedish

Cayuse

O'odham

Syilx (Okanagan)

Chicano

Portuguese

Tlingit

French

Puyallup

Umatilla

German

Russian

Yakama

Haida

Snohomish

 



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