For the Tulalip Tribes of Washington state, “everything we do and hold comes from that salmon.”

Those are the words of tribal vice chair Hazen Shopbell, who traces the tribe’s history of salmon fishing to its ancient origins.

“The relationship with salmon goes back as far as our histories can go,” he said. “It’s something that’s kept us here and kept us going the whole time and has been our foundation of where we’re at today.”

It also has formed a connection to South Dakota, thanks to a simple but powerful trade agreement with the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe.

“We’re trading buffalo for salmon. Buffalo that you can eat for fish that you can eat – pound for pound,” tribal member Monte Lovejoy said.

“They have a love for the ocean, a love for the water, a love for the fish, a love for each other.”

Vanguard Hospitality chief operating officer Tim Meagher saw that relationship in action earlier this year when he traveled with the Flandreau Santee Sioux to Washington.

“It was to come and see firsthand the fishing process, the cultural integration and learn the stories that tell the history of what’s important to community members up here,” Meagher said.

There’s a cultural sacredness to salmon for the Tulalip Tribes, which honors it with an annual ceremony and takes significant steps toward habitat restoration, sustainable fisheries and environmental advocacy.

“Salmon means everything to us. We are the salmon people,” said Marlin Fryberg Jr., a member of the tribal council. “Every single one of us has been on that water fishing for a living.”

Because Vanguard Hospitality has an established relationship sourcing bison from the Flandreau Santee Sioux, it led to trade that now provides Tulalip salmon for guests at Minervas.

“At its source, we’re also supporting fishermen in the same way we support producers directly,” Meagher said. “There’s a pride and history that goes into being at the beginning of the production of products. We’re trying to get as close to the source as possible, bringing a high-quality, healthy product to our guests.”

Come with us for a closer look at the salmon at its source:


For the Flandreau Santee Sioux, “our relationship with Vanguard is an excellent relationship,” said David Ross, a trustee with the tribe. “Utilizing that relationship and trading with the Tulalip Tribes has allowed us to provide salmon for their restaurants, and it’s a very good win-win situation. We’re very proud of the relationship we’ve established.”

Try the Flandreau Santee Sioux bison in the Bison Empanadas appetizer at Minervas, where it’s served with currants, golden raisins, olives, spices, aioli and chimichurri; in the Bison & Blueberry burger served with black pepper Dimock cheese, charred inspired blueberry wojapi, aioli, sage oil, arugula and amaranth; or as the Santee Bison Steak served with a choice of side.

The salmon is being offered in Minervas signature dishes the Honey Pepper Salmon and Salmon Asparagus salad in addition to a new sandwich featuring smoked honey pepper salmon served chilled with aioli, capers, ribbon onions and baby gem lettuce.

“Our guests at Minervas are going to be able to eat fish specifically from this one little bay, and we’ve met all the people involved in this process and have seen how meaningful it is to the fishermen to be recognized,” Meagher said. “Those are things I don’t know until I go see it. From start to finish, it’s a fair system, and everyone now is participating in that system. So it can just be the salmon dish, or it can be a lot more.”