In British Columbia, the annual return of the eulachon fish, known as the "savior fish," brings with it a wave of traditional community work. Shanna Baker’s narrative explores not just the fishing practices along the Nass River, but also the deep cultural ties and ecological concerns surrounding this resource.
When it’s time to make grease, each camp has its own proprietary process, just as each has its own fishing strategies. The details are not mine to share. As I chat with the Walter’s Camp crew in their cabin—a rustic one-room hut with notes scribbled on the plywood walls from past visitors, sleeping bunks in a loft, a compact kitchen, and a TV lounge tucked behind the stairs—Lonny Stewart worries I’ve learned too many details. “Don’t write that down!” he pleads when another fisherman describes an aspect of the crew’s setup. Eulachon harvesting and grease making are age-old art forms. The magic is in the details, and some prefer those details be shared on a need-to-know basis. Stewart does, however, open a Mason jar of grease from the shelf for me to sample. He holds it up so the solidified oil inside gleams gold in the window light before offering a taste. It has a roasted, almost-nutty flavor. Fishy, but much more subtle than the smell implied by the fermenting fish outside.