Digital Collections
- Biery (Galen) Photo AlbumsIncludes images of Pacific American Fisheries operations and equipment.
- CPNWS Photo DatabaseSearchable database of over 7000 images, including substantial images relating to fish and fishing practices in the collection of Galen Biery and other historians and photographers.
- Fly Fishing Oral Histories (Special Collections)Transcripts of interviews with fly fishers in the Pacific Northwest. Persons interviewed discuss fly-tying, favorite locations, and memorable experiences.
- Tikka (Rubin) film footage of commercial fishing.Color film documenting commercial fishing operations in Clam Gulch, Alaska, from 1958.
Related Guides
- Databases A-ZComprehensive list of databases and other electronic resources provided for WWU users. WWU Log-in required for access to databases.
- Environmental Studies DatabasesWWU Log-in required for database access.
- Government Environmental Websitesa selection of websites about environmental issues produced by agencies of the U.S. Government.
Introduction
This guide provides an introduction to resources about the history of fish, fishing and fisheries in the Pacific Northwest region, focusing on the rich resources available through the Archives & Special Collections at Western Libraries. Both the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies and Western Libraries Special Collections house substantial resources about these topics, including information about Native American fishing practices and treaty rights, commercial fisheries, fly fishing, and some of the conflicts and controversies surrounding access to fish as a resource.
If you have additional questions, or cannot find the information you are looking for, please contact us (see right-hand column).
From the Library Catalog
Try searching the combined Libraries Catalog and Summit Catalog as the OneSearch Catalog or WorldCat for both published and archival sources. Ask an archivist or librarian if you need assistance. Useful search terms may include:
- Fishery law and legislation
- Fisheries
- Fly fishing
- Fly tying
- Fly tyers
- Salmon fishing
- Salmon fisheries
- Salmon canning industry
- Indians of North America -- Northwest, Pacific -- Fishing law and legislation
- Lummi Indians -- Fishing
Depending on your topic, some useful secondary sources may include:
- Uncommon Controversy: fishing rights of the Muckleshoot, Puyallup, and Nisqually IndiansCall Number: Wilson 4C - Northwest Collection E78 W3 U25 1975
- Special Collections Fly Fishing CollectionOver 1500 titles housed at Western Libraries Special Collections
- The Great Pacific American Fisheries, 1899-1965 : recollections of Galen Biery : conversations August 12, 1993-July 20, 1994 byCall Number: Western Library Wilson 4C - Northwest Collection (HD8039.F6752 U63 1994) and other locations
- Handbook of Western Washington Indian Treaties: with special attention to treaty fishing rights byCall Number: Western Library - Oversize Books E95.H35 1979
- Organizing Asian American labor: the Pacific Coast canned-salmon industry, 1870-1942 byCall Number: Western Library Wilson 3E - Books HD6515.C27 F75 1994Between 1870 and 1942, people of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino ancestry toiled in the salmon canneries on coastal bays and streams from central California to western Alaska. Successive generations of Asian immigrants and Asian Americans formed the predominant body of workers in an industry that played a central role in the economic growth of the western states and territories. This book traces the shifts in the ethnic and gender composition of the cannery labor market from its origins through its decline and examines the workers' creation of work cultures and social communities.
- Pacific Northwest Croatian byCall Number: CPNWS Reference Room F855.2.C76 C76History, antecdotes, & stories by & about local Croatian fishing Families in Bellingham.
- The H. W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest byCall Number: Archives & Special Collections--Archives Building CPNWS Reference RoomAn illustrated review of the growth and development of the maritime industry from 1895.
- Lummi Elders Speak byPublication Date: 1999
- The History of Lummi Fishing Rights byCall Number: Western Library Wilson 4C - Northwest Collection E99.L95 N79
Archives & Special Collections
University Archives and Records Management, Goltz-Murray Building, 360-650-3124
Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Goltz-Murray Building, 360-650-7534
Archives & Special Collections
OUR MISSION
Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections provides for responsible stewardship of and access to unique and archival resources in support of teaching, learning and research at Western Washington University and beyond. The Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Special Collections, and University Archives and Records Management work together to document the culture and history of Western, the local community and Pacific Northwest region, and to promote public and scholarly access to holdings.
More Campus Connections
Credit courses about fisheries management and fly fishing are taught through WWU's College of Environmental Sciences. Check out the WWU Course Catalog for more information.