Different versions of the Salmon People legend have been told for centuries by many tribes of Northwest Coast Indians. Though the tellings may differ in detail from tribe to tribe and era to era, all versions express the Indian belief that animals have spirits and can move freely between animal and human realms, choosing to feed humans when approached with proper respect and ceremony. Claire Rudolf Murphy's thought-provoking tale about the interdependence of humans and animals is based on anthropologist Franz Boas's accounts and on interviews with Tsimshian elders and craftsmen. Acclaimed Northwest Coast artist Duane Pasco enlivens the myth with his striking drawings. Claire Rudolf Murphy is the author of ten books for children including Children of the Gold Rush and Caribou Girl.

When the salmon stop coming to his village, a Tsimshian prince travels to the world of the Spring Salmon People and discovers the vital connection between the human and animal worlds.

This volume examines Tsimshian culture from the prehistoric period to the recent past and includes contributions from such diverse perspectives as archaeology, linguistics, and social anthropology. The contributors demonstrate a balance between current fieldwork and careful archival analysis, as they build on the voluminous materials that are a legacy of the scholarship of such major figures as Boas, Barbeau, Tate, and Garfield. The book includes chapters on the crest system and participation of the Tsimshian in the 'non-Native' economy of the region and introduces much original material on shamanism, basket making, and feasting.