COVENANT OF THE SALMON PEOPLE

COVENANT OF THE SALMON PEOPLE: is a 60 minute documentary portrait of the Nez Perce Tribe’s ancient agreement with salmon and follows their efforts to uphold this relationship as dams and climate impacts threaten the extinction of species and a cornerstone of culture. The Nez Perce is the oldest documented civilization in North America with archaeological sites along Idaho's Salmon River dating back 16,500 years. At the very root of this civilization and cornerstone of their creation story is an ancient covenant with salmon.The film will explore the unique relationship between the Nimiipuu, salmon, and the landscape from which both evolved, and will show how the covenant with salmon has manifested in the tribe's culture, it's history, and its modern day, multi-faceted work to speak and advocate for salmon. Today the tribe is facing the extirpation of their most prized salmon species despite decades of recovery efforts. The widespread construction of dams across their Traditional lands have challenged recovery. The only option for the tribe to uphold their ancient deal with salmon and save the species from extinction is the breaching of four dams on the lower Snake River.