Many of us have access to more choices than we ever thought imaginable, in fact, it is quite easy to find ourselves amidst an abundance of products, eating foods cultivated across the world, or selecting from a myriad of variations of the same “thing”. But this “abundance” of choice masks ecological depletion, and as we gain access to that which is far from our homes, actual place-based abundance is often jeopardized. This week on the podcast we explore this in context to herring in Southeast Alaska with guest K’asheechtlaa (Louise Brady). Everything from chinook, seals, whales, eagles, halibut, and dolphins, all depend on herring directly or indirectly. In addition to nourishing so much of the Pacific marine ecosystem, these kin are embedded in the culture and spirit of  Sheetʼká (Sitka). But as herring have been utilized in pet food, fertilizer, fish meal for aquariums and salmon farms, and marketed as a delicacy abroad - fisheries have been mismanaged by the state of Alaska and overfished to near extinction. 

In conversation, K’asheechtlaa shares the oral history of herring abundance in context to what a typical herring harvest looks like today, industry’s inability to act with reverence, and how Herring Protectors are working to protect the herring and the culture tied to them. As an alternative to thoughtless extractivism and incompatible institutions, K’asheechtlaa also shares what place-based joy feels like, grassroots efforts to restore the sacred, and the importance of building allyship outside of one’s own circle.

K’asheechtlaa is a woman of the Tlingit nation in Sheetʼká Ḵwáan, an island off the coast of Southeast Alaska. She is Raven-Frog or Kiks.ádi Clan, Kiks.ádi women are known as the herring ladies, they have a story or original instruction that connects them spiritually, culturally, and historically to herring. K’asheechtlaa is the founder of the Herring Protectors, a grassroots movement of people that share concerns that the herring population in Sheetʼká Ḵwáan, and the culture tied to it, are under threat. They spend time in relation with each other and organize against colonization and in defense of the lands and waters that sustain us. They are an informal collective, but over the last three years, they have helped put on two Honor the Herring Koo.eex’ that honored the sacred relationship the Tlingit people have with the herring and the role they play in their way of life - haa kusteeyi. These ceremonies were powerful and the focal point for a broader movement that brought dozens of people out to testify for the protection of herring and in support of Sitka Tribe of Alaska at the Board of Fish, to make art, to undertake a symbolic canoe voyage, to protest at the Alaska Department of Fish & Game local offices, and more.

♫ The music featured in this episode is “Wolf Creek” by Lake Mary, “Awake Before Dawn” by The Ascent of Everest, “Life Givers” by Alexandra Blakely, and “Old Pine Tree” by Fountainsun.

Take Action

Donate to the Sitka Tribe of Alaska’s lawsuit to protect the herring

Follow Herring Protectors to stay up to date on upcoming petitions and events

K’asheechtlaa’s Recommendations

Yáa at Wooné (Respect for All Things)

Activist group fights to conserve Sitka’s herring

Commercial Interests vs. Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Sitka Tribe sues state, claims mismanagement of herring fishery

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