Spirits in the Wilderness raw: #21 Salmon Original, fishing from post

Raw footage for a documentary commissioned for the opening of the Shedd Aquarium's Oceanarium. Producer, director, and editor Judy Hoffman documents an aboriginal fisherman, Roy Cranmer, fighting to preserve the 'Namgis band's historic fishing grounds and land of origin while protecting the vibrant ecosystems and salmon populations that have sustained the Pacific Northwest Coast region for centuries. Also known by the anglicized name Nimpkish, the 'Namgis are part of the Kwakwaka'wakw (initially named the Kwakiut'l by Franz Boas) First Nation and have their homeland in what is now British Columbia, on the northern end of Vancouver Island. Hoffman has maintained a long relationship with the ‘Namgis band, having been adopted into the Cranmer family at the Cranmer potlatch in November 2017.

00:25Copy video clip URL Observing the Kitgora, a seine fishing boat captained by Roy Cranmer, a member of the ‘Namgis band, preparing to fish on the Johnstone Straight.

01:39Copy video clip URL Crew members Sam Cook and Arthur Hunt board a rowboat on the stern of the Kitgora and ready to cast the seine net.

02:40Copy video clip URL Cook and Hunt deploy from the Kitgora, rowing opposite to cast wide the seine net. The Kitgora arcs opposite of the row boat, creating a semicircle of the net in the water.

08:55Copy video clip URL The boat continues encircling the net in the water while the row boat rows pulls hard to meet full circle. At the winch, Cranmer and Barbara Cranmer begin reeling in the net. Soon, the net squeezes in circumference, wrapping under the water surface, creating an encolsed purse to capture fish.

16:55Copy video clip URL With the pursed net almost reeled in, loads of salmon flop on the water’s surface. Against the port side, the crew pulls the net mesh into the boat to make a well from where they can bring in net loads of salmon.

22:15Copy video clip URL The first net load of salmon raises and drops into the Kitgora’s in-board well. The crew continues capturing net loads of salmon.

25:49Copy video clip URL After retrieving their catch of salmon, Cranmer shouts to Judy Hoffman that he believes to have caught about 1,000 fish, mostly humpback salmon, known also as pink salmon.

28:02Copy video clip URL The Kitgora casts net again.

28:53Copy video clip URL A Canadian government official with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announces a fishing opening for the camera.