For millennia, the Spuzzum First Nation (SFN) has celebrated the gift of abundance provided by the annual return of the salmon at a special site where the Fraser River squeezes through a rocky narrows and provides some of the best fishing sites in the Fraser Canyon.
According to SFN, it is at this site where the transformer Coyote taught the People how to fish: just one of the many powerful stories connected to this sacred landscape.
Every year, Spuzzum First Nation celebrates the return of the salmon to the Fraser with the First Fish Ceremony. This year’s event takes place on Saturday, July 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Alexandra Bridge Provincial Park picnic area in SFN traditional territory, and all are invited to be part of this ongoing story by joining Spuzzum First Nation for this year’s ceremony.
The free, family-friendly outdoor event features singers, drummers, dancers, and storytelling — including three-time World Champion hoop dancer Alex Wells from the Lil’wat Nation — and this year’s version comes with a new feature for those who can’t attend in person.
“It’s a chance for people to come and learn more about our culture and our shared history,” says SFN Chief James Hobart, who is Indigenous Co-Chair of the New Pathways to Gold Society (NPTGS).
“People can also learn what the SFN is doing in terms of economic development in our traditional territories. This event is as much about celebrating the present as it is honouring the past.”
In addition to the First Fish Ceremony, attendees will be able to learn about the 1926 Alexandra Bridge Rehabilitation Project, which is restoring an icon of B.C. transportation history situated at the narrows which have been a gateway between the coast and Interior for millennia.
The SFN and NPTGS are lead partners in the project, which also includes the participation of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, BC Heritage Branch, BC Parks, and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sports.
“The 1926 Alexandra Bridge Rehabilitation Project is a wonderful example of Indigenous Reconciliation at work,” says NPTGS Co-Chair Brent Rutherford.
“It shows what can be achieved when Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples work together for a common goal and the common good. We call it Reconcili-action.”
This year’s version of the ancient First Fish Ceremony is accompanied by a high-tech twist. For the first time ever, this millennia-old ceremony will be livestreamed via Facebook as the event unfolds on July 29.
The livestreaming is the result of a partnership between event sponsors New Pathways to Gold Society and Connect Media. The Connect Media crew will provide coverage of the ceremony as well as providing interviews with key participants.
“We’re delighted to partner with Connect Media to bring this joyous, family-centered celebration to a wider audience,” says NPTGS Executive Director Don Hauka.
“Riley Forman and the Connect Media team are very excited to be part of this and we’re looking forward to providing folks with an insight into Spuzzum First Nation culture.”
Indigenous youth will also receive hands-on digital training during the event, and more instruction at a later workshop.
To tune into the livestream, visit the New Pathways to Gold Society Facebook page on July 29.
For those attending in person, the Alexandra Bridge Provincial Park is situated adjacent to the Fraser River approximately 150 kilometres south of Cache Creek and 40 kilometres north of Hope.
Vehicle access is available from both the north- and south-bound lanes of Highway 1, and the 1926 Alexandra Bridge can be accessed from the park.
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