Salmon

For thousands of years Salmon have been the primary food source for Northwest Coast Native Americans and have become a popular choice for many today. Salmon are a keystone animal. If a keystone species were to disappear, their ecosystems would change significantly. Rotting salmon carcasses transfer valuable nutrients from the ocean to the land. Scientists have traced nutrients from salmon bodies and found them in mosses, herbs, shrubs, trees, insects, songbirds, bears and wolves! Salmon are unique in that they live in both fresh and saltwater. When saltwater fish are exposed to freshwater, their cells tend to burst. When freshwater fish are exposed to salt water, their cells tend to shrivel. Salmon spend most of their lives in seawater but return through freshwater streams to their birthplace to spawn. Salmon is a symbol of femininity and reproduction. Salmon energy demonstrates the blessings that stem from personal sacrifice. The Salmon design represents rebirth, happiness, eternal life, and femininity. People born under this totem love life and know how to live their life to the fullest.