Revitalizing cultural knowledge and honoring sacred waters: documenting the oral history of life on the Nooksack River

The purpose of this work is to preserve the knowledge and to share the story of the Nooksack River from the perspective of the Lummi People who still fish and hold sacred the territory at the mouth of the river. With constant changes to our environment and public policy affecting the tribe, the stories connected to the Nooksack River become invaluable historical knowledge. These stories are reminders of what is important to our people and our culture, as the Lummi People have a rich understanding and oral history of the land in which they live. It is important to the Lummi community, through documentation of the oral history, to reflect how the people thrived and interacted within the natural world. Through these studies, stories will be documented, true to their experiences, and by doing so, add richness to the collective history of life along the Nooksack River. Project work will include images and video of those who lived in the fishing village at the Nooksack River to give light to the true untold stories of the daily life on the along the river. This project is to document of the oral history as told by the fishermen, their families and relatives who lived along the shores of the Nooksack River. Funds from NSF Project Number: 146144