The event, held at the 7 Cedars Resort on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, will bring together Tribes and First Nations from the Pacific Northwest with interests and active enterprises in aquaculture, with a specific aim of fostering learning and connection for indigenous students from North America who are studying marine and fisheries sciences, natural resources and aquatic farming.
The organisers say that the summit will feature a diverse array of presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and site visits led by experts in aquaculture and marine environmental sciences and Indigenous fisheries practices, as well as state and federal government agency staff, and aquaculture industry professionals.
Conference events begin with a welcome reception at Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Headquarters on 26 August. A full day of conference sessions will run on 27 August at the 7 Cedars Resort, and the final sessions on 28 August will include off-site tours of aquaculture facilities in the Salish Sea area.
The Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship Foundation was established in honor of Kurt Grinnell, a Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Leader who was a trailblazer and strong advocate for aquaculture as a means of food security and Tribal sovereignty for the Next Seven Generations. Kurt recognised that aquatic farming, whether shellfish, finfish, or plants such as algae and kelp, is a necessity if Pacific Northwest Tribes and First Nations are to restore access to critical first foods, like salmon and steelhead.
Registration and conference information can be found at KurtGrinnellScholarship.Org