Protecting salmon preserves a way of life for a Pacific Northwest tribe

CBS Saturday Morning Protecting salmon preserves a way of life for a Pacific Northwest tribe .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-cbs-mornings-saturday.jpg'); } By Aubrey Violeta Gelpieryn Aubrey Violeta Gelpieryn Aubrey Gelpieryn is a producer with CBS Mornings. Read Full Bio Aubrey Violeta Gelpieryn May 30, 2026 / 11:16 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google For the Muckleshoot tribe, salmon is more than a meal. For members of the tribe, protecting the fish means preserving a rich history of culture and tradition. The tribe is descended from the Duwamish and Upper Puyallup peoples, who lived in the Seattle area for thousands of years. The Muckleshoot tribe is still known as the Salmon People. "We have a connection with the fish and the water and you can feel that in your body when you are done fishing or swimming," said 21-year-old Mike Jerry Jr., who is a member of the tribe.Standing on a riverbank in Western Washington, Michael Jerry Sr. and his younger brother Cory Jerry had woken up early to teach Jerry Jr. the traditional practice of throwing a small net to catch spring salmon. The goal with this style of fishing is to catch just one salmon. Once the net is cast, the fishers wait."It's all a process," said Cory Jerry. "The processing, the preservation, the drying and smoking and all that. This is really important because that's how I grew up. That's how we grew up … that's just always something that we want to pass on." Left to right: Cory Jerry, Mike Jerry Jr. and Michael Jerry Sr. Cory and Michael Jerry Sr. teach Mike Jerry Jr. how to throw a traditional net. CBS Saturday Morning Jerry Sr. said that he has fished like this since he was young. Passing it down to Jerry Jr. ensures that his son is connected to his history, Jerry Sr. said. "The things I've seen, the things I've heard, the people I've seen here, all those things that I remember, you pass it down to the next generation," Jerry Sr...