When Hugh Amaguq Ahnatook buys salmon from fellow Native fisherpeople for his smoked salmon business, Sacred Waters, he knows that they handled those fish with respect, and that shows in the final product.
And by paying Native fisherpeople a fair-trade price, Ahnatook says, he is lifting up others while creating a sustainable business. “True wealth is what you do for the people and for the earth.”
Founded in 2016, Sacred Waters is expanding with support from TNC’s Washington Coast Works Business Competition, in which the company won third place in 2019. The competition, which has worked with nearly 60 businesses since 2015, provides awards of up to $10,000, along with business development coaching and ongoing mentoring.
Sacred Waters expects to hire four people, which is “a big deal” in their tiny coastal community, Ahnatook says.
By focusing on people, place and profit, Sacred Waters plans to be around for the long haul. With a healthy Emerald Edge, wild salmon will continue to run and support Native and local communities for generations.
