Treaty Rights

Read more about the article Makah Tribe continues pursuit of treaty whaling right
Makah tribal member Paul Hayte addresses NOAA Fisheries personnel during a public hearing on the tribe's whaling proposal.

Makah Tribe continues pursuit of treaty whaling right

Paul Hayte post“Our treaty is a living document just like the Constitution,” said Makah tribal member John Haupt during a public hearing about the tribe’s proposed whale hunt. “You are making something simple, complicated – we ceded thousands of acres of land in exchange for protection of our rights on the ocean.”

The hearing, held in Port Angeles at the end of April, was part of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries public comment process for a draft environmental impact statement for the tribe’s whaling proposal. There are six options, including no whaling and the tribes’ proposal of the harvest of up to five Eastern north Pacific gray whales a year. (more…)

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Historical fish hook draws community together

Alex Wise wrapping hook
Makah tribal member Alex Wise works to wrap one of the halibut hooks during a community volunteer session where the hooks were made. He later used them in a test fishing project.

A fish hook has tied history, culture and the Makah community together in unexpected ways.

The čibu·d (pronounced “cha bood”), or halibut hook, became the subject of a student project during an internship with Makah Fisheries Management.

“I had a student, Larry Buzzell, come to me wanting to do a project that related to historical fishing methods,” said Jonathan Scordino, marine mammal biologist for the Makah Tribe.

Historically the hooks were made of both wood and bone. As the tribe gained access to new materials, they also made hooks from metal.

“The goal of the project was to test if the čibu·d was more selective for catching halibut than contemporary circle hooks when fished on a longline,” Scordino said.

Setting up the experiment was challenging because the study required 200 čibu·d to be made by hand. (more…)

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U.S. Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Visits Northwest Tribes

larry echohawk-leonard forsmanKAMILCHE – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry EchoHawk made his first visit to the Pacific Northwest as the head of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to meet with leaders of the 24 treaty Indian tribes in the Pacific Northwest. The daylong meeting on July 31 at the Squaxin Island Tribe’s event center focused on natural resources management and the federal government’s trust responsibility to tribes.

“I’m familiar with the issues that concern Pacific Northwest tribes,” EchoHawk said. “I just have some catching up to do. I’m glad to have this opportunity to listen and learn from you.” (more…)

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