The Tsimshian and Gitksan understand that all other living creatures are their brothers and sisters and deserve the same respect as humans. In their worlds, animals, fish and birds take human form and, like humans, live in villages led by their chiefs. Over the centuries humans have learned the proper way of treating each of the species on which they depend for their way of life. These laws of respect are taught to children from an early age through oral histories. There are also ceremonies to honour different species, such as the First Salmon Ceremony. This is an account of this Tsimshian and Gitksan ceremony.

"Four shamans in their regalia came to the fisherman's platform with a new cedar-bark mat, eagle down, red ochre, and an eagle's tail. The head shaman with his rattle sang a song of gratitude over the salmon, and then using an intricately carved club, he killed it with a single blow. Then the face of the fisherman who had caught the first salmon was painted with the red ochre.

It was time to bring the salmon to the village. Reverently it was lifted and laid on the mat, its head pointing upstream so that the other salmon would follow the same way. The white down, a symbol of friendship and welcome, was sprinkled on the river. The mat was lifted by its four corners and carried slowly back to the village, the head shaman leading the way, shaking his rattle with his right hand and swinging the eagle tail with his left.

Before the salmon could be taken into the house, it had to be purified. Anyone who had been closely connected with birth, death or puberty had to leave. The power of such people might upset the fish and cause the run to stop. The salmon was transferred to a large cedar plank and all the shamans of the village assembled in the house. They were dressed in ceremonial regalia - leggings, decorated dance aprons, necklaces of pendant bones and headdresses of bears' claws. Next came a procession of the people of the village with the very old leading the way. They circled the salmon.

The singers began their song of welcome. Four times the shamans danced around the salmon, while people drummed and shook their rattles of shells and deer hooves. When the music ended, everyone sat down behind the fire, each person taking his or her place according to rank. The voice of the highest ranking guest broke the silence.

Oh supernatural one, Oh swimmer. I thank you that you are willing to come to us. Don't let your coming be bad, for you come to be food for us. Go home and tell your friends that you had good luck on account of coming here. O friend, O swimmer.

There was a pause; it was time to cut the salmon. Two very old female shamans came forward to name the salmon. The naming was a high compliment to an honoured guest. The names carried high social privilege and prestige. One of the female shamans spoke: "My dear chief spring salmon, named Quartz Nose, named Two Gill on Back, named Lightning Follow One Another, named Three Jumps." The names were well-chosen; each was a tribute in itself, a great honour was bestowed on the salmon.

The women took up their knives made of mussel shell - to use the usual knives of stone for this purpose would be an insult to the guest and bring thunderstorms and disaster. With great care, and in the prescribed manner, they cut the fish, leaving the head and tail intact on the backbone. Then they spread the fish open with sticks and it was roasted slowly over the fire. When it was done, fresh new mats were laid. The salmon was placed on them and each guest ate a portion. Afterwards they drank fresh water and wiped their hands on finely shredded cedar bark.

The fisherman's wife brought forward a new, unused mat. She gathered up all the bones and intestines of the salmon and took them to the river's bank and threw them into the water. The villagers knew that this would cause the salmon to instantly return to life and that he would swim back to his people in the undersea salmon world."