Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center Exhibits: Kettle Falls

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Transcript for "Our Stories" Audio Files

Keller was the first place the salmon came to, and that was in May and June; and then Kettle Falls was in July and August until late November. My name is Janette Timantwa, and I was born and raised in Kettle Falls. I'm a Lake Indian. I grew up more around Kettle Falls and salmon. Below it was the Inchelium and Keller camps and across the river was the Spokane Indians campground. On an island above Kettle Falls, it still shows, I think, was the burial ground for everybody that died. My great-grandmother was buried there.

There was about 500-600 people where we camped, the Lake Indians. Below, the Keller and Inchelium camps were about the same. Across the river was the same amount, 700 to 800 where the Spokane and Montanas camped. They had their own fishing place over there. Above that was the salmon rafts. They had big rafts out there and they'd spear the salmon; and they had a tribal net to catch fish to pass out to the elders. That was our main food. We had a lot of salmon. We got enough salmon to last us a year. We were the Lake Indians, we were raised on salmon.

Sometimes one of the guys would catch one pretty near 50 pounds. To me they were huge; and you know, we saved everything. Mom even took the heads and split them and dried them—and oh, they're good!

Last Update: June 22, 2011 12:48 PM