Indigenous Arts & Stories - Two Sockeye

My great-grandma, Evelyn Rattray, is a Tahltan elder. She used to tell me stories about her time at fish camp. She always wanted us to go with her so last summer my family and I drove to Telegraph Creek, BC. At first, I wasn’t thrilled about going because it was such a long drive from Calgary and I didn’t like the idea of catching fish all day. But once there, I had so much fun catching fish, playing with my cousin, listening to stories and learning about Tahltan history and culture. It was the best trip ever.

In my piece, the sockeye salmon is swimming in the Stikine River. He represents my time at fish camp. The bottom half of the salmon is me not understanding what fish camp is about. The top of the salmon is me discovering what fish camp really is. It is me learning about my heritage and being with family and friends.