YUROK TRIBE SALMON FESTIVAL

MY DAY AT THE 52nd ANNUAL YUROK TRIBE SALMON FESTIVAL in KLAMATH

 

If Humboldt and Del Norte counties were in the 21^st Century, there would be Facebook pages, blogs and IP addresses dedicated to the Yurok Tribe’s annual Salmon Festivals in Klamath, California. We didn’t know about the event (occurring every August) until this July (almost one month earlier).

 

I look forward to having a booth at Klamath events, because it is certainly one of the most beautiful places in the universe to spend a day.

 

I doubt it is possible to have a better beginning to the day. I love the drive from Orick to Klamath anyway, but it was spectacular in the early morning series of sunrises created by the climb the highway takes on the eastern most edge of the Coastal Range. Vistas open with quick glances at the other mountain ranges growing from the subduction of the Pacific Plate and the North American Continent (The Cascades and Sierra Nevada Range). On this early morning drive, clouds filled the valleys creating the site of paradise as alpine vistas.

 

As usual, the drive on the Redwood Highway makes us recognize miracles.

 

We forgot Caltrans is working on the bridge into Klamath. (Guess what? It crosses The Klamath River.)

 

I guess there really were 100 vendors there. We were 2 booths away from people grilling chicken and tri-tip all day. I never did get to smell the salmon smoking. The line for salmon was Loooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg.

 

When we drove into Klamath, we drove into a huge cloud, but it burnt off quickly and it turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day in the high 60s and low 70s.

 

The Salmon Festival is really about the Yurok Tribe taking a day to honor, recognize and appreciate their tribal elders. They invite vendors in as a part of the activities for the day. Other activities included a parade, Indian card gaming, tribal stick games, softball, awards and honors, a classic car show and break dancing competitions for a variety of age groups, including aged. An excellent band provided music all day (although a DJ provided hip-hop for the break dancing).

 

Chad made all my displays out of driftwood, so my booth looks great. (He also made my tables and a huge display easel). Other shop owners and wood workers come over to compliment. I don’t make jewelry to tribal tastes though, so sales are not good.

 

Man it was fun!

 

There was this one thing. Chad found The Bead Lady (from Willow Creek) on one of his walks and she had crimp tubes (which I needed), so I went to find her (she was over by the bouncy castle). I found the wrong bead booth and while they were trying to force feed me crimp beads (which I won’t use) I heard voices in confrontation and (here it’s fuzzy) noises. I looked up in time to see a Yurok Tribal Police officer pick himself up, (as he was sprayed with gravel) drawing his firearm while getting to his feet and firing 3 shots. He called for help, but I knew he would not catch whoever drove away. Other officers ran up a path on the hill to Hwy 101 and tribal police gave chase. “Was that real?” One man saw the whole thing and was a little freaked out by it. “Oh yes!” he said. “That was real.”

 

Anyone who grew up around events where “wild west” type shows break out in an instant, would understand why there was some question.

 

We found out what happened on the late news. Some guy robbed a Subway in Crescent City (I don’t know which one, since they have one on almost every block) at 7 in the morning and stole the clerk’s car. I don’t know what he was doing between then and when he got to Klamath, but imagine his surprise to find the normally empty highway filled with traffic on the way to the festival and lined up well behind the bridge (which is down to one lane, so there is a traffic signal at each end, regulating traffic). He somehow found himself in “old town” and decided to run over a policeman. He hit him (which I heard, but did not see), but that guy got up while getting sprayed with matter from tires squealing. He looked just like TV as he rose, unholstered and fired.

 

The thing is – the thing that bothered me all day and even now – is he fired his gun and all those people (including me) were right there. We were right there. He was less than 100 feet from me.

 

Anyway, the guy abandoned the car and hijacked another (at gunpoint) and somehow got across the bridge before the police, so he got away. He dumped that car here in Orick and is now “AT LARGE.”

 

Klamath is a small town of high rises. The high rises are mountain and hillsides covered in trees, including sequoia 30 stories tall. When you look up (and you have to look up – it makes you) you are likely to see eagles soaring high above the highest peak (which remember is probably about 30 stories higher than the ground of the highest peak).

 

So, I love to go to Klamath and enjoy (immensely) spending hours there, especially on a day like yesterday, which was perfect.

 

There were lots of people. I love those events. Cute children ask you wonderful questions and tell you delightful secrets. People bring their well-mannered dogs. It was a friendly ambiance. The crowd was great. I learned many things about the Yurok Tribe and their efforts to keep dams off the river. I hate that they keeping getting screwed. GIVE THEM BACK THEIR RIVER for Pete’s sake.

 

There is a great risk of another fish kill due to low water from all the dam and all the special interests siphoning water off the river. It not only hurts the Yurok, it hurts the Hoopa and the farmers.

 

I feel that though it was not a financially successful day, it was a wonderful day and we already decided that whatever we do next year, we well be at the festival.

 

 Stands Chad Made