Sunday:
That evening, the group camps by the river, watching the salmon leap through the rapids. Jas films the scene with their camera.
“I can’t believe how many there are,” Jas says. “It’s like they’ve been waiting for this moment.”
Roman nods. “The dams destroyed so much. Generations of salmon lost. The people who depended on them lost their way of life. But now...”
Ivy Mae smiles softly. “Now, the cycle continues. Nature finds a way, doesn’t it?”
Roman glances at Ivy Mae. “You know, this reminds me of something my mother used to say. She believed I was Haida, though I never got to confirm it. She told me stories about the salmon being sacred, the lifeblood of the people.”
“What happened to those stories?” Jas asks.
Roman sighs. “I was part of the Sixties Scoop. I didn’t grow up with the teachings, the language, or the stories. But moments like this...they feel familiar. Like something deep inside me remembers.”