Dip Netting
This photograph shows Johnny Victor of Cheam First Nation dip net fishing in the Fraser Canyon, just past Yale, in 1949.
Standing against the powerful currents of the Fraser River, dip net fishers relied on generations of knowledge, patience, and respect for the water. To those unfamiliar with the canyon, the river could appear violent and unforgiving. Yet for those who knew it well, the back eddies revealed places where salmon could be carefully harvested as they made their way upstream to spawn.
For thousands of years — estimated between 8,000 and 10,000 years — this method of harvesting salmon sustained First Nation communities along the river. Salmon caught at these sites were often cleaned, filleted, and hung nearby to wind dry and preserve for the seasons ahead. Families maintained designated fishing sites and seasonal fish camps throughout the canyon.
Archaeologists have discovered ancient fish camps high along the canyon walls, showing that First Nations have harvested salmon here since time immemorial.
The Fraser River has always demanded both skill and humility from those who lived alongside it. Its waters have sustained generations, carried travelers and fishermen, and undoubtedly claimed lives as well. The river continues to move through the canyon with the same power and presence it always has, carrying the memory of those who came before.