[display_podcast] The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community held its annual Blessing of the Fleet and First Salmon Ceremony on Thursday. The celebration, marking the beginning of the fishing season, honors and…
University of Washington journalism students, in a science conference blog, describe the tribal ceremony at the close of the Puget Sound Georga Basin Ecosystem Conference
A Federal District court judge in Seattle has ruled in favor of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in a case involving a diking and drainage district's failure to comply with the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act when replacing tidegates in its jurisdiction.
During this summer’s annual Canoe Journey, Northwest tribes plan to blend modern science with traditional ways, by collecting water quality data from their canoes. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is…
For direct contact information at the various NWIFC Member Tribes, use the links below. Hoh Indian Tribe Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Lummi Nation Makah Tribe Muckleshoot Indian…
People for Puget Sound is hosting the 10th annual Spartina Dig on the Swinomish Reservation starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 7 at Swadabs Park.
The Seattle Times and Skagit Valley Herald (subscription required) reported on the results of the Swinomish Tribe’s study on toxics in their traditional shellfishing areas.
Seattle Times:
The study, funded by a $1.2 million grant from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), found enough of the so-called “bioaccumulative toxics” — chemicals that remain in the body for long periods of time — for many tribal members to worry because they eat about 20 times more shellfish than average Americans.
“We have a saying in Indian country that when the tide is out the table is set,” said Brian Cladoosby, chairman of the Swinomish Tribal Community.
“Right now we are coming into the springtime, and our tribal members are hitting the beaches weekly. And for this study to show that our tribal members have to limit their intake is very sad.”
LA CONNER (June 14, 2005) — After more than a decade of hard work, a groundbreaking recovery plan for Skagit river chinook salmon was completed on Friday.
“The plan is a pathway to recovery for wild chinook salmon,” said Lorraine Loomis, fisheries manager with the Swinomish Tribe. “We will not rest until we have achieved our recovery goals, and this is a huge step toward bringing back healthy wild salmon runs.”
The Skagit Chinook Recovery Plan has a wide array of stakeholders, and it already has the endorsement of three: the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The tribes worked in close collaboration with WDFW to ensure that the strongest possible plan would be developed.
Tribe files 60-day notice of intent, but still hopes negotiations can ward off a suit
LACONNER (September 11, 2003) — Seeking to protect Skagit chinook salmon, the Swinomish Tribe today notified a Skagit County Diking District of their intent to file a lawsuit under the federal Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act. After years of attempting to find mutually acceptable solutions locally, the tribe is turning to the federal courts. “We have tried to work cooperatively with the farming community, the Governor, the county and the state, and in every instance they have turned us away,” said Brian Cladoosby, chairman of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.