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By Jenny LeCoq
Friends of the Eel River
The Eel River Prayer Ceremony and Summit, a historic 2-day event, was held on the banks of the Eel River near Willits on July 17-18. “We will not sit idly by,” was the central message of the event, hosted by the Round Valley Tribes of Covelo and Friends of the Eel River (FOER), which drew concerned Eel River supporters from San Francisco to the Oregon border, including biologists, hydrologists, fishermen and leading environmental groups. It was the first time in 100 years, since traditional spiritual ceremonies were banned among tribal governments, where members of the Round Valley Tribes of Covelo and their spiritual leaders and tribal dancers guided a sacred prayer ceremony for the relief of the long-suffering Eel River.
The Round Valley Tribes, with century-long fishing rights on the Eel River, have experienced devastating economic and health-related hardships from the loss of the salmon fisheries. Saturday was devoted to the Sacred Tribal Leader’s blessing of the river; which included all those attending, as well as tribal dancing, and a shared traditional tribal meal of salmon - not salmon from the Eel River, but salmon offered by an Alaskan tribe in recognition of the plight of the Eel’s nearly collapsed salmon fisheries.
On Sunday, the participants, unwilling to rely solely on the agencies of the federal and state government to force PG&E to modify the flows on the Eel River, met to present observations and research on a wide range of legal and scientific issues that affect the Eel River and the health of its nearly 4,000-square-mile watershed; with the heart of the matter being the need to immediately increase the flows of water during peak late summer and fall spawning months.
”In the face of a very grave situation for the fish, all of the people attending the Eel River Prayer Ceremony were deeply inspired and empowered not to sit idly by. The sacred tribal dances and prayers were so profound that it infused all of those attending with strength and perseverance,” said Nadananda, Executive Director and founder of Friends of the Eel River. “The amplified energy among the group was infectious.”
According to Ernie Merrifield, past Round Valley Tribal Council member, “Water and salmon hold sacred value among the tribes of the Round Valley, and both have been bankrupted.” He continued, “Like a person, if you block the free flow of blood in your veins you will die, just as PG&E’s dams are killing the Eel River.” Because of past resource extract practices the best spawning and rearing habitat left are above the PG&E Potter Valley dams, with no fish access.
Only time will tell if the Eel River sacred prayer ceremony will bring back the salmon, but what it did accomplish was to bring powerful forces together to end their need for a desperate plea for help. “Extinction is not an option,” offered Nadananda.
About the Round Valley Tribes of Covelo
The Round Valley Reservation consists of the Covelo Indian community. This community is a culmination of small tribes; the Yuki, who were the original inhabitants of Round Valley, and the Nomlacki, Wylaki, Lassik, Sinkyone, Cahto, Kabeyo, Shadakai, Yokayo, Shokawa, Kashaya, Habenapo. Wappo, Concow, Maidu, Colusa, and the Achamawi, who arrived during the forced march of Nome Cult 1863.
The Round Valley Reservation is located between the two tributaries of the Eel River; the Middle Fork and the North Fork. Fishing and water rights were granted to The Round Valley Tribes in 1873, under treaty with federal government. The Eel River and its salmon and steelhead are sacred in the tribal community; it feeds life to all “civilization” on the river. Without adequate water in the main stem of the Eel River, there is not enough water for spawning salmon and steelhead to reach the Middle Fork Eel.
PHOTO COURTESY OF FOER
Round Valley Tribal members perform the “Coming of the Fish People” tribal dance at Eel River Prayer Ceremony on July 17.
