The First Catch

History

In Cascadia whenever a child turns ten years old no matter what tribe they belong to they are taken out on a boat for their first catch. They will fish with their parents until they catch a sea creature of some kind. The child catches the sea creature entirely on their own while their parents only steer the boat. If successful the child is required to prepare the creature for cooking and then cook the creature. Once cooked the child will present the meal to their parents who will eat a portion of it. If the catch was prepared well they will say, "It is a good catch". If they declare, "It is a bad catch" then the child has failed. They will not be allowed the privileges of those who are successful and must wait until next year to try again.
The first catch is a coming of age ceremony for Cascadians. While they are not an adult yet completing the first catch signifies that the child has matured and they are allowed to have a say in any family matters. Since the council was formed they are also allowed to sit in on a meeting of the council members to see how the gatherings are held.

Components and tools

A fishing boat is used by the family. This can be their own or one that is rented if for some reason they do not have one. I fishing rod that is made by the child and bait that they pick out themselves as well.

Participants

Parents must be present on the boat when the first catch occurs. In some cases where one or both parents are not around a suitable substitute is allowed to be used. The most important part is that an adult is witnessing the first catch and receiving the first prepared bites from it. It is the adults who judge if the catch is good or not.