Natural Resource Management

Material collection and preparation big part of basket weaving

Quileute Cathy working on basket post
If you aren’t in the mood, don’t weave. It shows up in the work.” That’s one of the many things Quileute tribal member Cathy Salazar has learned after 16 years of basket weaving.

“The weave will get too tight or sloppy if you aren’t in the right frame of mind,” said Salazar.

Despite years of weaving, Salazar didn’t fully appreciate the traditional ways of preparing materials for some time because others provided the cedar and grasses ready to use in baskets. “It was all ready to go and Grandma Lillian Pullen or my other instructors would weave the basket bottoms for me to get the basket started,” said Salazar. Lillian was her first teacher and everyone called her “grandma.” (more…)

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Annual Report

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This report is an overview of the natural resources management activities of the treaty tribes in western Washington. The tribes and their Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission are active in all…

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Tribes Applaud Federal Funding For Natural Resources

OLYMPIA (December 20, 2007) — The status quo isn’t always something to cheer about, but when it comes to securing federal funding for tribal natural resource management during tough budgetary times, the treaty Indian tribes in western Washington are applauding the efforts of the state’s congressional delegation.

“Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks came through for us Indian people, but really, everyone benefits from the work we do to preserve, protect and restore our natural resources,” said Billy Frank, Jr., chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.

The omnibus funding bill signed by the President Dec. 20 restores $1.8 million for tribal participation in the Pacific Salmon Treaty. That brings total tribal funding to near status quo funding of $4.1 million. The funding is shared by tribes in western Washington and along the Columbia River, as well as the Metlakatla Indian community in Southeast Alaska.

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2006 Seventh Generation Legacy Awards Presented

SEATTLE (November 20, 2006) — The 2006 Seventh Generation Legacy Awards, sponsored by the Salmon Homecoming Alliance, were presented during the Salmon Homecoming Forum, held at the University of Washington on Thursday, Nov. 16. “This award provides an opportunity to acknowledge the great importance of team spirit between tribal and non-tribal communities, particularly in the pursuit of environmental protection and natural resource management,” said Salmon Homecoming Alliance President Gerald James. The name of the award reflects the tribal tradition of basing decisions made today on the impacts they will have on descendants seven generations from now.

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Regarding Leadership and Habitat

OLYMPIA, WA (10/19/05)– How do you measure leadership in natural resource management? When it comes to saving the salmon resource, leadership must be measured in terms of heart, concern for our descendants and the ability to demonstrate courage and integrity in the face of great odds.

I have spoken for the salmon for more than 50 years, and I will tell you this: If salmon go extinct, it will be due to lost and damaged habitat.

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Grayum Named NWIFC Executive Director

OLYMPIA (February 1, 2005) – The treaty Indian tribes in western Washington have named Michael Grayum as executive director of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. Grayum, 57, replaces James Anderson, 54, who served as NWIFC executive director for more than 20 years. Anderson will remain with the NWIFC part-time in an advisory role.

Formerly the head of the NWIFC Fishery Services Division, Grayum has been with the organization for 28 years. He was among the commission’s first employees upon its creation following the U.S. v. Washington ruling, also known as the Boldt Decision. The 1974 federal court ruling – later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court – re-affirmed the tribes’ treaty-reserved salmon rights and established them as co-managers of the resource with the State of Washington.

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Boldt Brought Management To State

March 31, 2004

This year marks the 30th anniversary of a court decision
that forever changed natural resource management in the
State of Washington – for the better.

Most Washingtonians know Federal Judge George Boldt
re-affirmed tribal treaty-reserved rights to half the salmon
in his famous 1974 decision, and that his ruling established
the tribes and state as co-managers of the salmon resource.
The Boldt Decision has been used to define Indian hunting
and fishing rights cases across the country, as well as to
determine aboriginal rights as far away as Australia.

But what most folks don’t know at all is that the Boldt Decision brought responsible salmon management to the State of Washington.

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Quilcene Coho Salmon Fishery Helps Sustain Tribes’ Way Of Life

QUILCENE (Aug. 12, 2003) – Each summer, fishermen are lured to one of the most popular fisheries in western Washington. The goal is the same for everyone: catch coho salmon making their way back to the Big Quilcene River. But while most anglers come out for the sport, others are fishing primarily for a meal.

For several Treaty Indian tribes, the Quilcene hatchery coho fishery provides a source of food for families living on reservations, where unemployment can range as high as 80 percent. Harvested salmon also play a big role in the tribes’ traditional ceremonies.

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MPAs Only One Tool

July 29, 2003

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about the health of our oceans these days. Most of the news isn’t good. Declining sea life, pollution, overharvest of marine resources – the list goes on.

According to the recent Pew Ocean Commission report, pollution and poor natural resource management are the main causes for the trouble our oceans are in. This private group’s assessment will be followed later this year by a report from the U.S. Commission on Oceans Policy. This federal commission is charged with developing findings and making recommendations to the president and Congress for a coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy. We suspect their findings will be similar to the Pew report.

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