Of Cedar And Salmon

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon Today on  Of Cedar and Salmon , we return to the great beginning. An age when the world was new. When people and animals lived side by side in delicate harmony. Near a thriving coastal village, a mysterious and creative creature appears for the first time. When the villagers capture this shy newcomer - Beaver - they discover the wonder...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon Join our journey to Tillicum Village on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTq0g7AxpWQ&t=756s In this special field-recorded episode, the Of Cedar and Salmon Podcast travels to the now-closed Tillicum Village on Blake Island; a place once alive with First Nation's art, architecture, and cultural experiences, but now locked away fr...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon In this episode, we dive into the legend of  Gooma’quay , the powerful Chief of the Undersea Creatures from the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest. When the world is “upside down and backwards” and the people face hunger, a group of fishermen travel to the mysterious Bird Island, where their song draws forth  Pag’wis , a merma...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon Humans have explored less than 5% of the world's oceans. The rest remains a mystery. What lives in the deep waters is something we don't fully understand, and maybe were never meant to. For thousands of years, the Coastal People spoke of mist-covered places on the water. Regions so dangerous and sacred that no one dared to go there. But whe...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon In the coastal villages of the Pacific Northwest, stories live as long as the sea itself. Among them is the legend of  Puffin Rock, a tale of love, loss, and transformation that speaks to the deep spiritual beliefs of Indigenous coastal communities. Today, we dive into: The origins of  Puffin Rock  and how it came to be passe...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon Along the ancient coast, connections run deeper than the waters of the Pacific. Connections between the people and the land... Between the land and the sea... And between the generations. In a coastal village shaped by tides and tradition, a mysterious and ancient elder, Grandfather, gifts a very special canoe to the children. A canoe that...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon According to the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest, there are forces in this world that humans were never meant to know, mysteries better left undisturbed. The Owl Chief  is one such legend. Those who seek its ancient power may discover too late that some paths can’t be retraced. In this episode, we explore the legend of  The...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon Happy Halloween!  This week, we’re venturing deep (perhaps too deep?) into the misty forests of the Pacific Northwest to share another  spine-tingling Native legend  — a tale whispered through generations and steeped in mystery. In the shadowed woods, where the cedar trees stand like ancient sentinels, there are things humani...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon For more than four decades, the  Of Cedar and Salmon  program has transformed ordinary classrooms into living museums of Pacific Northwest First Nations culture. The smell of cedar, the rhythm of drumbeats, the shimmer of beadwork and pelts, all coming together to awaken young imaginations across Western Washington. This week, we...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon In this episode, we’re opening the doors to a brand-new series:  From the Museum Box , where we explore the fascinating artifacts, heirlooms, and handcrafted items that hold the spirit and stories of  Long Claw’s cultural collection . Our journey begins with the  Sun Rattle  — a stunning example of  First Nations ar...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon "What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger." "The strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire." "Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor." Every culture has wisdom about how  struggle shapes strength , and in this episode we bring that timeless truth to life through the powerful legend of  “The Loon Chief and The Boy.” We’ll expl...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon We all imagine how life should unfold; shaping our days, our habits, even our identities around a single vision. But what happens when life doesn't play along? When mistakes, misfortunes, or unexpected twists turn everything upside down? In those moments, guidance often arrives from the least expected places. Our choices, even those we bare...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon So, as we've just learned, the amount of sunlight you see each day was decided during an argument between an ant and a bear. But how come they got to make this decision?! Did they even bother to read ANY books about negotiations, weather/climate, or circadian rhythms??? Ridiculous, I tell ya. Long Claw clues us in on why these two unlikely...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon In the beginning of time, daylight and dark happened randomly! There was no set length for how long daylight and dark should cover the earth. It could last as long as a season, or pass in the blink of an eye. Something needed to be done. The Changer (pronounced "Hwan") challenged Ant and Bear to decide how long each should last. But the dis...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon Like many famous monsters, Slapoo represents much more than just a scary figure. We dive into the genuine dangers that made this legend, and its warning, so valuable to the Coastal People. Long Claw illustrates the harsh realities of living on the edge of the world, and the hard decisions that so often went hand-in-hand with survival. And w...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon On the coast of Washington State, near the town of Port Angeles, the land reaches far out into the Straight of Juan de Fuca. This is the Dungeness Spit. Famed for bountiful harvests of crab and shellfish. But it is also a deadly tidal zone. Rushing tide waters are known to claim the lives of even the strongest swimmers. While sinking sands...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon Today we dive into some numerology! Specifically the number 4 - a sacred number for the Kwak'wala-speaking people. 4 seasons, 4 directions, 4 repeated phrases... it's a number that appears many times in the natural world and the culture. And not only in the legends. In the art, dance and even architecture, once you know to look for it, you...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon Introducing the Immersive Audiobook: "Echoes of Our Elders". Listen Now: https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Echoes_of_Our_Elders?id=AQAAAEAq8XaxTM&hl=en_SG Hey it's a BIG day for us at the show! Before we began recording a podcast, we had a vision for an audiobook. Featuring the ancient legends - masterfully told by Long C...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon Today we dive into another adventure featuring the legendary trickster, Raven. Up for debate: even if he saves the day, can a trickster really be considered a "hero"? Or, maybe it would be more accurate to think of Raven as one of history's first "anti-heroes". Plus, in a game of wits, we discuss whether or not it's actually a good idea to...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon Long Claw tells another legend featuring the infamous trickster. Back in the beginning of time, the animal people feared the waters of the Pacific Northwest. For they were stalked by a great monster, Halibut. Who took many lives suddenly and without mercy. As time went on, they cried out to Old Raven for help in freeing them from this terro...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon In the second half of our Story Poles discussion, Long Claw shares his personal history with the art form. We discuss how public controversy surrounding his first story pole commission became a catalyst for the Of Cedar And Salmon program. It's an interesting example of how, so often, identity and art intersect - frequently in passionate wa...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon What if I told you the outside world has been misinterpreting these public documents the whole time? Today, in part one of our two-part episode, we tackle a lot of these misunderstandings. Including: Why the phrase "totem pole" is completely inaccurate They are NOT about worship They are way more than just animals There is no such thing as...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon What does it mean to give someone, or something, a name? We dive into the importance of names, both formal and informal, for the coastal people. Long Claw shares the empowering process of not only giving a name, bet being the recipient of one. And how, in a spoken-word tradition, names shape both lives and communities. Bonus topics include...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon In the Ancient Times, all creatures lived without names. Then, one day, the Great Creator summoned all life to his long house in order to receive their "Name of Power." Excited by the chance to elevate himself, Coyote hatches a plan to arrive early, so that he may receive the greatest name. However, his plan soon goes awry, leaving Coyote q...

Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/cedarsalmon Digging into this kwakwaka'wakw origin story for the sun, moon, stars and life itself. Long Claw details why Raven, "The Trickster", is held in such high regard by the First Nations. We also discuss how - even with good intentions - mischief can grow out of our control, and why the choices we make are so important. Plus we explore the cultu...