“People of the Salmon” Presentation

Radio journalist Jane Fritz has spent decades producing programs for public radio—and more recently, podcasts—capturing stories from the Northwest. Over the years, she has interviewed numerous Nez Perce elders and fisheries experts about salmon, weaving together a rich oral history of cultural and ecological significance.

Her latest project, an hour-long podcast titled People of the Salmon, draws from more than 20 years of interviews. Some of the voices featured are from elders who are no longer with us, yet their insights continue to shape and deepen our understanding of the salmon story—both historically and in the present day.

Jane will be joined by Shane Vatland, the new Nez Perce Fisheries field office supervisor in Wallowa County, for a special event on Thursday evening. Together, they’ll share stories, discuss the ongoing work to protect salmon populations—including efforts with sockeye—and play selected clips from the podcast.

People of the Salmon will re-air on KPBX Spokane (89.3 FM in Wallowa County) at noon on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26. The podcast is also available to stream anytime at www.mythweaver.org for those who’d like to listen ahead of Thursday’s conversation.