To Swim and Speak with Salmon advances Indigenous-led conservation by building the knowledge and skills of Indigenous youth in the North to empower them to be Northern leaders, stewards and advocates for their lands, waters, and communities.

Youth will be the most affected by coming changes due to humanity’s impact on the lands and waters. It is critical to train Indigenous youth in the Yukon and BC who can advocate for their relations on and in the Land, Water, and Air. Thus, the project will deliver a youth training and a research and curriculum development component to tackle this issue.

The focus of this training will center around the issue of salmon conservation and Indigenous connections to salmon, as the need for action to save salmon is crucial. Salmon relationships must be healthy. Healthy salmon relationships connect to physical and mental health – as Indigenous peoples need salmon as food to survive and thrive – and spiritual and emotional health – as Indigenous peoples need salmon to exist for salmon themselves, as a spiritual partner with whom they have existed since time immemorial.