Large International Gathering of Indigenous Salmon Peoples in Sápmi this fall

Photo: Carl Johan Utsi

The Sámi Parliament in Norway and The Saami Council are organizing the 2nd International Gathering of Indigenous Salmon Peoples this autumn in Kárášjohka/Karasjok.

Read this article at sametinget.no

Silje Karine Muotka. Photo: Ørjan Marakatt Bertelsen

Indigenous salmon peoples from the northern hemisphere will gather at the meeting to share knowledge, experiences, and discuss indigenous salmon management.

– Salmon fishing has been prohibited in the Deatnu River for four consecutive summers. The salmon population is under severe pressure across the northern hemisphere. We need such a gathering where we can share information and experiences with other Indigenous Peoples, says President of the Sámi Parliament Silje Karine Muotka.

Salmon management practices and knowledge

Aslak Holmberg. Photo: The Saami Council / Piera Heaika Muotka

– Salmon rivers in Sápmi are now facing the arrival of a new species, the pink salmon, and this change of the river ecosystems seems inevitable. This gathering provides an excellent opportunity to learn from each other about Indigenous Peoples’ salmon management practices and knowledge, as well as how to best utilize new species as resources, says Aslak Holmberg, president of The Saami Council.

The 2nd International Gathering of Indigenous Salmon Peoples will be held from September 30th to October 2nd in Kárášjohka at the Sámi Parliament. The gathering will host 80 participants from Sápmi, Canada, the USA, and Greenland. This gathering is a follow-up on the first International Gathering of Indigenous Salmon Peoples, which was held on the land of the Musqueam people in Vancouver, Canada in 2022.