On May 17 the scent of alderwood and roasting fish filled the cloudy sky at Central Oregon Community College’s sports field as the 25th annual Salmon Bake celebrated indigenous cultures rooted in tradition, learning and community.
The celebration was also on the 75th anniversary for COCC and is an “added blessing,” said event organizer and COCC Native American Student Program Coordinator Jeremiah Rector.
The Salmon Bake, held alternately at COCC’s Bend and Madras campuses, stayed in Bend this year because of construction. “Having it next year allows us to celebrate and welcome in the new Madras expansion,” said Rector.
At the core of the Salmon Bake is, of course, the 150 pounds of salmon caught and cooked in a traditional Native way. The fish is from Brigham Fish Market, a Native business in Cascade Locks, Ore.
“They’re selling it to us at a good discount because it’s a Native-to-Native sale,” said Rector. “That is a big thing not just here in the Northwest, but really all over the place.”
The fish is caught in nets and not with fishing rods or lures. “They don’t want it to struggle because it’s a special being to them and not a fish,” said Rector. “If it gets traumatized, it bruises the meat, it affects the blood and the taste…about being respectful.”
When caught, it is skewered and slow roasted over an alderwood fire. “They don’t like any wood besides that,” Rector said. “It’s specific.”
Sandra Green lead the cooking and was suggested by previous event organizers of the Salmon Bake. “I just leave it up to them. This is their tradition and they have a lot more experience than I ever could,” he said.
Aside from the food, the event included Quartz Creek Dancers’ powwow dancing and student volunteers as well as a silent auction to support raising funds for the First Nations Student Union scholarship. “It’s not just about a meal. It’s ceremony, it’s story, it’s connection,” Rector said.
Newer to the celebration is West African drummer, Fodé Sylla. “I’ve been drumming since I was seven years old,” explained Sylla. “Drumming and dancing is a part of our daily life back in West Africa. When cooking, we’re drumming. While working in the fields, we’re drumming. It’s just part of everyday life.”
Sylla, who’s played at COCC three times, described being in the Salmon Bake as meaningful. “It’s an honor that I get to be a part of it. This is representing all the various cultures, and I am proud to represent the African one here.”
In the future, both Sylla and Rector look for an even greater inclusion in the celebration. “My mission is to have more than one dance group and invite some Indigenous peoples from Canada and Mexico…and even some African American and Asian people,” offered Rector. “This is a celebration, not a party. It unites peoples, brings people together.”
For Sylla, it’s the same mission: “I hope in the future we will bring more variety at Central Oregon. I say we lack a culture here, you know, so the more the better it is, you know, food, music, art, the more the better.”
For Jackie Currie, COCC’s Native American college prep coordinator, her goal is to help further the celebration and for the community that attend to leave knowing the culture a little better than they did before.
“It’s not only about the fry bread but also about seeing people and cultures that are different from their own as something to be celebrated, protected and respected,” said Currie.
