The Last Reefnetters, a five-part docuseries, centers around the innovative method of reefnet fishing developed by the Lummi Nation and other Northern Straits Salish tribes thousands of years ago. Following punitive legislation, environmental damage and devastation caused by a budding cannery industry looking to capitalize on a seemingly abundant resource, the practice was all but removed from the tribes’ culture.
Today, just 12 captains with a reefnet fishing license are left in the world, and only one of them is an enrolled tribal member. Filmmaker Samuel Wolfe follows the Salish Sea’s last reefnetters, examining the legal, spiritual and cultural subtext that intertwines them.
The Last Reefnetters broadcasts Friday nights at 8:50 p.m. on Cascade PBS and streams through the Cascade PBS app. Watch the first episode here.
The docuseries was the Season 3 recipient of the Cascade PBS Origins grant. Each year, the stories told in Origins reflect the makeup of our region from an insider’s perspective: stories grounded in ancestry, connection, culture, influence and rootedness. In that spirit, the key requirement is that the filmmaker needs to be part of the community they are documenting (i.e., Indigenous stories told by Indigenous filmmakers, Latino stories told by Latino filmmakers, etc.).
The winning project is awarded $40,000 toward their production costs. The Cascade PBS Original Productions team also supports the filmmaker through the process. From identifying the project budget and talking through the concept all the way through scripting and editing, we are here to support and advise to ensure the project stays on track.
Submissions for the next season of Cascade PBS’ Origins are now open. Submissions close April 18.
