After three years of working with Alaskans all across the state, this is what we know—our lives are salmon lives. Our families, our values and our economies are all linked to this king of fish. As Alaskans, we don’t just see salmon as another part of the landscape, we see them as a part of who we are. They are our connection to the land, they are how we feed our families and they are the subject of many stories told in the dark of winter.
When we launched The Salmon Project in 2012, our mission was to celebrate wild salmon’s place at the heart of Alaskan life. As our work took us to all corners of the state, we discovered that the ways Alaskans feel connected to salmon are just as wild, beautiful and diverse as the people themselves. We also discovered something amazing: when Alaskans talk about salmon, they don’t just talk about a fish. They talk about love.
