Five migratory fish swim across a woven sea—can you name them all?
Chinook salmon, smelt, white sturgeon, herring, lamprey: these five fish have special significance. "Obviously all fish are important," shares Shirod Younker (Coquille/Miluk Coos/Umpqua), designer of our Traveling Waters Water Bottle, "but the five shown on the Traveling Waters Water Bottle are a few that are important to the survival of my people." Most of us are familiar with salmon and herring, and perhaps even smelt and sturgeon, but the surprise addition to Shirod's design is the lamprey. This ancient fish (scientists estimate lampreys are over 400 million years old!) is endangered here in the Pacific Northwest, and is an important food source to many area tribes.
Lampreys are of particular importance to Shirod. "I am enrolled with the Coquille Indian Tribe," says Shirod, "and although the current spelling is French, our name has a much older origin. The Coquille River was known for its mass migration of lamprey, which our people would harvest alongside other fish species. We were known as the Mishikhwutmetunne—people who live on the Eel River. The river was later referred to as the Kokwel or Coquelle, which is a derivation of skakwel, the word for "eel" in the Chinuk trade language." The geographic designs are traditional basket weaving patterns, layering in another important aspect of Shirod's heritage.
Product Details
- 32 oz
- Bottle base is 100% recyclable stainless steel
- Plastic D-ring lid
- BPA-free
- 3.5 in diameter x 10.5 in tall (with lid) / 8.89 cm diameter x 26.67 cm tall (with lid)
- Imported bottle base finished and printed in Washington State
- Hand-wash only; do not microwave or freeze
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