Herring Protectors with Kh'asheechtlaa

Among the Tlingit people of Sheet’ká Kwáan (Sitka, Alaska), the yaaw, the herring, are honored as sacred relatives. The story of Kaxátjaashaa, the Herring Rock Woman, tells how the first herring came when she sang to them with respect, laying their eggs in her hair. From this teaching, Kiks.ádi women have carried responsibilities to the yaaw for generations through ceremony, harvesting, and collective care.

In this conversation, Kh’asheechtlaa – Louise Brady, of the Kiks.ádi (Raven Moiety – Frog Clan), shares stories of the yaaw, their importance to Tlingit culture and ceremony, and their place in the wider ecosystem that supports whales, birds, fish, and people. She also speaks about the founding of the Herring Protectors, an Indigenous women-led grassroots movement rooted in traditional teachings that celebrates the yaaw, challenges destructive extractive practices, and asserts a sovereign Tlingit relationship with the land and waters.

We invite you to join this webinar to learn about the yaaw, the people who continue to honor them, and why protecting herring matters for the life of the Ocean and for us all. 

Support the show