Follow Yup'ik fisherman Ray Waska as he teaches his grandkids how to fish during the summer salmon run along the Alaskan Yukon Delta. The Yup'ik are one of 11 distinct cultures of Native Alaskans. Traditional communities, such as the Yup'ik, face a variety of changes and their cultural traditions and wisdom passed on from elders help them sustain their way of life.
Before watching
What does the word "resilience" mean? Check it in a dictionary if you need to.
Can you think of examples of people showing the quality of resilience? Think about your own parents and grandparents - did they have this quality?
Watch:
The Salmon People in the Yukon Delta
Guide Questions
1. Since when have the salmon been disappearing?
2. What does "subsistence" mean?
3. What is a "king"?
4. What is salmon for the Yup'ik peoples?
5. What did the elders used to say would happen in the future?
6. What do young people in the community need money for?
7. What three things do young fishermen need to learn?
Discuss or write about these questions:
1. Ray Waska teaches his grandchildren through his words and actions not only about fishing, but about living. What lessons about life have you learned from elders in your family or community?
2. As the film portrays, some cultural traditions are intimately tied to local ecosystems, and are threatened when the ecosystem itself shifts. Are cultural changes like the ones depicted in the film inevitable consequences of "progress," or should we actively work to preserve these cultural traditions?
3. Is there a tradition in your family that is lost or dying? What are the reasons for its disappearing, and what, if anything, could you do to bring it back?
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