When we stated the tetla project we had to choose a symbol to represent Tetla. Tetla means "little money" in the Hul'qumi'num language. We hired the artist Herb Rice who gave us a choice for his artwork to represent our project. He suggested the Salmon because of the symbolism.
As I read the news about this years Salmon run being killed off as it hits the storm waters off of Seattle's city coast, I finally realized why Salmon represents Wealth, Perseverance, Family in our culture. Salmon are born and when they mature enough they head out to sea where they spend a mysterious time growing and living until it's time for them to return to their spawning grounds to lay and fertilize eggs and then die. During that process they heroically swim against the river upstream, jumping and flopping with all their dying energy to get to the spawning area.
This is much like the existence of Coast Salish business people who were traders up and down the Pacific Coast from Mexico to Alaska. Traders might spend years on trade routes before returning home. And as for going against the stream -- This I believe from what I have been told by the elders about the Coast Salish respect for the individual, is a mirror of the culture that emphasizes that. It's not easy to go against the grain. To dance to your own drum beat. To sing your own song. It's not easy, but if a person manages to find their strength and power in this world THAT is where it comes from.. from the respect for the individual in Coast Salish culture to Hwnitizelyum or "Go your own way". As traders the ability of an individual to find a market for their goods is extremely important to make a profit. More profits in our culture meant you had much more ability to take care of your relatives . A true Siem could not consider themselves as such if they had a relative who was going hungry.
Such different values my ancestors had about wealth creation and helping one another.