The Salmon People

by Hugh W. McKervill

The Salmon People is a masterful history of Canada's west coast. From the first people's tales of salmon to BC's first cannery, to overfishing and the environmental concerns that still exist today, this comprehensive early history is a must-read for anyone interested in how BC's fishing industry reached where it is today. Told from the strong and witty voice of Hugh Wilford McKervill, who once fished alongside the First Nations peoples of Bella Bella, The Salmon People is both an historically accurate account of the fishing industry and a salty buoyant memoir. In the author's own words, "so long as there fish surging from the sea there will be salmon people willing to brave the torments of nature to catch them, and the salmon will probably come forever . . . if man does not destroy them."

Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

Reviews

[kendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you care about salmon along the Pacific Northwest/British Columbia? Wanting to learn about the history of salmon fisheries along the Fraser? History of salmon and First Nations? If you have answered yes to any of these, you should read this book. It is incredibly insightful to the history of this region and on salmon populations (specifically on the Fraser).

There is also a recent edition of this book that dives into salmon aquaculture and recreational sport fishing! It also corrects language around First Nations peoples from the original printing!

[Vero Rodriguez-J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic combination of history and fictional stories based on the salmon industry in the PNW, with special attention to that of the entire B.C. coast. It describes not only the emerging, advancement, and collapse of the Pacific Salmon canneries, but also all the aspects that were forever changed by an uncontrolled industry. Great detail about the most influential canneries and businessmen, but which sometimes (especially around the middle of the book) can get a bit dry and too detailed.

My favorite parts are:
- the telling of the ancestral and deeply spiritual relationship of the original Salmon People (First Nation's peoples) to salmon
- about the great immigration waves that salmon was the direct cause for, specifically of Chinese, Japanese, Scandinavian, and other European countries
- and last but not least, the vital insight into the current effects of sport fishing, over fishing, and other environmental threats to the survival of such a keystone species, with so much cultural and societal value!

Great book if you are into natural history, history, nature, marine/freshwater science, conservation, PNW culture, fishing, First Nations, etc.