Johnny's, bobby soxers, raging river mark Indian life The Dalles Chronicle March 12, 2007 page A7 By George W. Aguilar Sr. In my younger, and happy-go-lucky days from the ages of 15 - 19, I took an inordinate delight in the Indian traditional gambling activity, and I forever looked forward to these traditional Indian doings. These goings-on also resulted in nearly every native being a participant, from old age, young people and the children. The aged looked forward for visiting of friends and relatives, children found new playmates, and younger people became acquainted with potential mates. Salmon fishing also occupied a very important element in my early life. I have fished the salmon in a variety of ways, from Indian traditional back eddy set nets, roping, dipnetting, gaffing, spearing, and gill netting, deep sea trolling in the Southeastern Alaska region. My thoughts and desires time and again drift into the former periods of harvesting these awesome anadromous species. Salmon fishing for the river people was the ultimate high; it was implanted in them, to always return to the fishing sites. It was regarded as a highly valued and respected occupational trade. Sometimes individuals forsook permanent careers just for the opportunity to harvest a few fish. Some even lost their lives chasing this exhilarating skill. The rumbling roars and hurled foamed water of When the River Ran Wild was the peak and most exciting part of my life and it was, at one time, the very essence of my being. Five Mile Indian Fishery: Some other childhood recollections were camping at Wot'socks, called "Lone Pine Indian Camp" by the white people. I noticed when my uncles established the yearly camp it was usually the same place every year. Below our camp was Uncle Joe Esterbrook's home. While as a child about age 7, I would accompany the uncles and cross the Celilo Canal with a small row boat to get to the early spring fishing spot of Iskulia iputch and Itkach'a fishing places at Five Mile Rapids. There were many small channels just a few feet wide about knee deep. In places, eels would be ascending the small vertical basalt rocks. While the men fished for the succulent spring salmon, I harvested the eels by simply wading to the eels hanging on rocks, pulling them off and throwing them to the dry surfaces. Incoming and Outgoing messages protected by Trend Micro PC-cillin program