By Brian McKenna, Project Lead
The late Reverend Chief David Salmon was born in Teetsik (Salmon Village) along the Draanjik (Black River) in 1912 to William and Alice Salmon. Chief Salmon lived a traditional Athabascan lifestyle – fishing, hunting, and trapping in the upper Draanjik for many years. He married, raised a family, became an ordained priest, and received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Chief Salmon was a founding member of TCC and Denakkanaaga, and a Traditional Chief for TCC. Chief Rev. Dr. David Salmon shared stories of his life and of the history of the lands, waters, and animals of the Draanjik. His stories from the past are helping to protect salmon today.
TCC’s Tribal Resource Stewardship Division staff are using the traditional knowledge shared by Chief Salmon to locate, identify, and protect salmon habitats in the Draanjik. In the 1980s, Chief Salmon shared his knowledge, history, and language with the University of Alaska Fairbanks to advance the Alaska Native Language Archive, which promotes the preservation and revitalization of Native languages. Some of Chief Salmon’s traditional knowledge relating to salmon was later incorporated into the Gwich’in Nąįį Googindì’ K’ìt (Gwich’in Place Names Atlas). According to Chief Salmon, there are two important spawning locations in the Kevinjik Creek of the Draanjik, Nee’inlii (“fish [dog salmon] swim together to a certain point”) and Nèhdlįį Ni’inlii (“Coho salmon swims to a certain point”). Chief Salmon explained that this area has perennial warm water springs, which prevent the water from freezing in the winter, creating favorable conditions for salmon.
While traditional knowledge is rich and plentiful in the Draanjik region, there is a significant data gap within the western constructs used to manage the Yukon River salmon fisheries. Two of the tools used to help manage these fisheries include the Anadromous Waters Catalog (AWC) and genetic stock identification. The AWC catalogs all fresh water habitats critical to supporting salmon and provides protection to these habitats through Alaska statutes. Currently, Coho salmon in the Kevinjik Creek are not protected within the AWC.
Genetic stock identification relies on the creation of a genetic baseline. The Yukon River genetic baseline for Coho salmon is incomplete and lacks any information for the Draanjik. A genetic baseline is created by identifying a unique genetic marker for each spawning population (or region). As salmon are harvested in the ocean or in-river fisheries, genetic samples from the harvested fish can be compared with the genetic baseline markers to determine which spawning populations (or regions) those fish came from.
TCC staff have been conducting research in the Draanjik for several years with the goal of filling these data gaps. In September of 2017, TCC staff collected genetic tissue samples from fall chum salmon spawning at Nee’inlii to establish a genetic baseline for this population. In August of 2021, TCC staff documented juvenile Coho salmon rearing at Nee’inlii and submitted a nomination to the AWC to protect this traditional place and critical salmon habitat.
Fall chum salmon migrate into the Draanjik and spawn at Nee’inlii in the Kevinjik Creek each September. Their eggs remain in the gravel over winter until they hatch the following spring. Juvenile fall chum salmon leave this system in the same year they are born, shortly after breakup, as they begin their migration to the ocean. Adult Coho salmon migrate up the Draanjik in the fall and spawn at Nèhdlįį Ni’inlii in the Kevinjik Creek, presumably between October and February. The specific spawning timeframe, duration, and location have not yet been documented. Juvenile Coho salmon may remain in freshwater through multiple winters before migrating to the ocean. How long juvenile Coho salmon are staying in this system, or where they might be going before leaving for the ocean, are currently unknown.
In 2024, TCC received funding through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Yukon River Salmon Research and Management Assistance grant. This project uses traditional knowledge and western science to learn more about the Coho salmon life cycle, document how Coho salmon are using these important traditional places in the Draanjik, and establish a genetic baseline for this specific population of Coho salmon. Traditional knowledge has identified these critical salmon habitats, which will be documented using aerial surveys and on-the-ground sampling in 2024. These surveys could provide insight into the biology and ecology of Coho salmon in the Draanjik. This information will also be used to update the Anadromous Waters Catalog, providing protection to important salmon habitats, such as Nee’inlii and Nèhdlįį Ni’inlii. Traditional places like these echo a long history and cultural connection to salmon.
If you know of traditional places or critical salmon habitats that are in need of protection, please reach out to TCC’s Tribal Resources Stewardship Division at TRSP@tananachiefs.org
Sources
- Chief David Salmon – Tanana Chiefs Conference. Tanana Chiefs Conference, Traditional Chiefs. 2024.
- Gwich’in Nąįį Googindì’ K’ìt / Gwich’in Place Names (eloka-arctic.org). Gwich’in Nąįį Googindì’ K’ìt/Gwich’in Place Names Atlas. 2024.
- Home | Alaska Native Language Archive | Alaska Native Language Archive (uaf.edu). University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Native Language Archive. 2024.
- Thomas, Bruce, J. Shlosman, M. Osborne, and E. Barnhill. 2004. Black River-Salmon Fork Weir Feasibility Study. Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments, Technical Document 04-01.
