Jerod Ward

Jerod Ward is a member of the Winnemem Wintu tribal youth and spends his time on the Winnemem Wintu village learning the songs, dances, stories, language, and importance of spiritually protecting the land, rivers, and its salmon. Jerod helps to organize an annual 300 mile journey called Run4Salmon that starts from the estuary in the San Francisco bay and goes up the Sacramento river and into McCloud river where the Winnemem Wintu tribe holds ceremony to raise awareness about the wild Chinook salmon originally from McCloud river currently in New Zealand and the tribe’s efforts to bring the salmon back. Jerod is currently studying to become the first Wintu youth to fluently speak the language, and hopes to one day teach the language to future generations.