This is epic.. a significant step forward to addressing the issue of salmon loss on the Snake and Columbia River systems.. an issue I worked on with others for the four years I lived in Idaho in the early 90s before moving to Haines in the winter of '95-'96. May the Tribal forces prevail. May the salmon be restored. And dams away to the four lower Snake River dams sooner rather than later.
The governors of Washington and Oregon and four Native American tribal leaders gathered at the White House on Friday to celebrate last year’s agreement to avoid litigation over dams in the Columbia River Basin.
alaskabeacon.com/…
This is something the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission has been working on for decades.
Fishing for salmon is just as integral an aspect of tribal culture as consuming it. For many, fishing trips shape their appreciation for the land, the waters, and the salmon. It is without question that salmon are worth our time, energy, and sometimes even risking our lives. That is why it was troubling when the number of salmon that returned up the Columbia River each year grew smaller and smaller. By the 1960s the numbers had dipped so low that tribal concern turned into alarm that we might lose our sacred fish. At that time, the tribes did not have the political voice or power to fight the decline.
Fortunately those days are past. Today the tribes are doing everything in their power to make sure that salmon return to as many of their traditional waters as they can. Enormous amounts of resources are being poured into this effort, and tribal youth are joining the fight to save salmon. Every year, more and more tribal members are becoming fish biologists, environmental engineers, and other scientists who are offering their minds as well as their hearts for the protection of the salmon, the water, and ultimately, their traditional way of life.
Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum: We are All Salmon People
critfc.org/…
One more reason to support Team Biden/Harris/Haaland. Respect for Tribes. Working to protect and restore rivers and wild salmon.
Image by PNW Coast Marvin Oliver..
granted to me for use by Marvin Oliver in the early 90s..