October 31, 2023
Last Friday, yaqan nuʔkiy nasuʔkin Jason Louie and Councillor Robin Louie joined the Creston Valley Rod & Gun Club, Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. and others to mark the planting of nearly 300,000 Kokanee salmon eggs into the bed of Summit Creek.
Said nasuʔkin Louie, before doing the blessing, “We (will) give a blessing for these beings that are going to sustain many of us. That’s what these prayers are for. We know that not all 300,000 are going to survive, but the ones that do, this is a blessing for them that they have longevity in these waterways.”
Councilor Robin Louie said: “It’s a momentous occasion. We have government, we have the people. We have Indigenous, non-Indigenous… When it comes to the land, you actually see that Summit Creek, even though we haven’t been involved out here, the beaver have been taking care of the water for us, taking care of the kokanee… If you walk up there right now, you’ll see that the beaver have been setting up their dams. They’re creating little settling ponds and protecting the kokanee eggs that got put in there right now.”
The eggs will overwinter in the creek and then hatch in the spring when water temperatures are warm enough (10 degrees Celsius) for long enough (90 days.)
Creston Mayor Arnold DeBoon, MP Rob Morrison and Creston Valley Rod & Gun Club President Brian Hushcroft also spoke, and, during the course of the day, students of six elementary school classes came by to witness the egg planting in Summit Creek and learn more about these fish and this collaborative project.
