Return of the Salmon Celebration in Sultan this weekend
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, September 21, 2016
SULTAN — A celebration at Osprey Park this weekend is meant to honor the namesake of the city, Chief T’seul-Ted, and welcome home the salmon that left local rivers as fingerlings and now are returning to spawn.
The fifth annual Return of the Salmon Celebration is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 801 First St. The event is free and family friendly. The area is covered so rain won’t interfere with activities, said Craig Young, chairman of the event planning committee.
The volunteer committee puts together the festival, working with Sultan, the Tulalip Tribes, the Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Snohomish County Public Utility District. Last year, roughly 400 people attended the celebration.
“We want to remind people, because history is a fragile thing and if people don’t get together and remember, it gets lost,” Young said. “We want people to remember that this city was named for Chief T’seul-Ted. The other aspect is that we want to remind people that the salmon have been coming here for countless generations and we have a responsibility to keep our watersheds healthy.”
The day includes a welcome ceremony, riverside tours, music and drumming, crafts, and horse-drawn wagon rides for children to the Sultan High School fish hatchery. Members of the Tulalip Tribes are providing educational displays and showcasing traditional art and music. Flute performances, drumming, storytelling, cedar weaving and dancing are on the agenda.
“We have a round dance where we encourage everybody to join,” Young said. “It’s a friendship dance.”
Prior to the main festivities, the third annual 5K Salmon Run is set to take runners around the wooded trails at Osprey Park. The race starts at 10 a.m. People can register in person on the day of the race between 9:15 and 9:55 a.m.
The run costs money, as do any snacks or souvenirs. Vendors plan to have lunch available, including wild-caught grilled salmon for sandwiches or salads.
During the event, a memorial stone for Chief T’seul-Ted, made by D&J Industries, is expected to be unveiled. A statue of the chief also stands at Riverside Park.
Young recommends that anyone coming to the event make plans to stay for a while to take in all of the activities and displays. The performers are exceptional, he said, and there’s lots of information about the history of the area and ways to protect rivers and land for the future.
“It’s a wonderful thing. It reminds everyone that we’re treading on sacred land, a combination of the settlers and the Indians and the animals and the fish,” Young said. “This is living history, and we want people to remember. There are living traditions and a living culture.”
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
