Because A Prayer for Salmon covers a lot of ground, we’ve decided to release it in three parts, with each part focusing on a different theme.

Part 1 (Chapters 1-4) focuses on the stress a federal proposal to raise Shasta Dam an additional 18 1/2 feet puts on a small indigenous tribe in Northern California — the Winnemem Wintu. Back in 2018, the move to build Shasta Dam higher was gathering momentum. For the Winnemem Wintu, the proposal threatened sacred sites they consider critical for their continued survival. They felt they had no choice but to fight.

Part II (Chapters 5-7) shifts towards a different struggle: to return salmon to their historical spawning grounds on the McCloud River, the heart of the Winnemem Wintu’s homeland. We journey alongside the Winnemem Wintu through the San Francisco Bay and up the Sacramento River to witness the obstacles faced by the fish. Along the way, we learn about the historical events that have shaped these waterways and threatened the continued existence of Chinook salmon populations here.

Part III (Chapters 8-11) continues to follow the Winnemem Wintu’s struggle to return salmon to the McCloud River. The journey is full of ups and downs and includes war dances. border crossings. trucks carrying fish. and ultimately, to everyone’s surprise, salmon eggs hatching in the McCloud River for the first time in almost 80 years. 

Bonus Episodes offer short audio postcards of some of the most prominent supporters of the Winnemem Wintu Run4Salmon prayer journey.