Salmon Keepers dinner educates youth on importance of salmon as keystone species

PENDLETON, Ore. - The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla India Reservation collaborated with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission to hold the first Salmon Keepers dinner on May 22 at the Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Pendleton, Oregon.

The event highlighted what both groups are doing to restore native fish in the the Columbia River, Snake River Basin and tributaries, as well as sharing information about salmon to youth and families in attendance.

Corinne Sams, CTUIR Board of Trustees Member at Large and CRITFC chair, said, “This event was built from robust discussions at the CRITFC table from commissioners, but mainly from our elder commissioners. These elders continue to emphasize the importance of sharing our rich history and long litigation battles that upheld all four Columbia River Treaty Tribes’ reserved rights, including in all our usual and accustomed areas. Our intention is to inform our membership of the issues that are continuing to contribute to our declining salmon runs such as climate change, poor fish passage, water quality, habitat, instream flow, sediment build up, hydropower systems and much more.”

In addition, the groups shared information about the Belloni and Boldt decisions. In 1969,  Sohappy v. Smith/U.S. v. Oregon, Judge Robert C. Belloni ruled that Columbia River treaty tribes had an “absolute right” to a fair share of fish runs. The judge also emphasized tribal sovereignty and called for separate consideration of tribal fisheries alongside non-treaty commercial and recreational fisheries. Then in 1974, in the Boldt decision, the judge in the U.S. v. State of Washington case upheld tribal sovereignty and secured Washington tribes the right to fish at usual and accustomed grounds.

Addressing the youth, fishing rights and conservation were discussed, as well as the significance of continuing ceremonies like First Fish, First Kill and First Dig.

Sams added, “This is the time you are standing yourself up to be a provider of our foods to yourself, your family and your people. Our way of life depends on our connections to the foods, land, body, spirit and unwritten laws to protect our sacred foods. We have unwritten laws that are vital to how we take care of ourselves, others, our foods and way of life.”

16-year-old Weptas Brockie, CTUIR Senior Youth Council chairman, said he was at the dinner because he wanted to learn more about salmon and how he can make a difference.

Brockie stated, “It’s a concern because salmon is very sacred to our people. It’s one of our first foods, and right now the water keeps getting hotter and hotter, so the fish are depleting. And the dams are causing the fish to not be as plentiful as they used to be, and not as many are coming back each year. Other youth should attend events like this because they need to learn more about their culture, and even if they aren’t Native, they should learn this information because salmon is a keystone species. It brings nutrients up the water for plants to grow. That’s what I’ve learned.”

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