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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (July 27, 1979)
Spilyay Tymoo Salmon bake an old river tradition HANGING TO DR Y— MatgUa Sam hung filets of salmon in a breeze and out of the sun at the in- lieu fishing site at (ascadeLocks, where the annual salmon bake took place last Sunday. While cook s ran out offresh cooked salmon for guests, they had plenty of dried salmon and eel to offer and even cut un raw fish for families to take home with them. Spilyay Tymoo Photo by Stowell Ten days of fishing produces River, remembers salmon only 51 salmon and steelhead, bakes as far back as 1912. so Harold Greene and his crew People gathered in the Cascade made a last minute trip to the L ocks area, contributing fish Willamette River for eels. It and other foods for the was a good thing, too, because celebration. It has always been nearly 500 people appeared at open to the public-“that’s what the in-lieu fishing site at it's for,” Jackson remarked. Cascade Locks for the annual But it hasn’t always been at the salmon bake July 22. Only 28 Indian reserve park, which did were too late for fresh fish or not come into being until the eel, having to satisfy themselves Army Corps of Engineers offered compensation to with dried fish and corn. Head cook Neda Greene was Indians for fishing grounds quite pleased with the turn-out, destroyed by Bonneville Dam. Now Indians celebrate on noting that representatives of other tribes were more in their little square of land and evidence this year. It was a must get special fishing permits quiet time, with the rowdy folks to enter the river on-season. kept outside the gates by Warm Tribal Council donates a few hundred dollars for the event Springs tribal police. Herb Stwyer led the crowd in and just a handful of people E re-dinner worship, using a actually share in the elaborate rand new bell given to his by preparations. But hundreds of people his grandchildren. He and other elders no doubt reflected delight in the fresh salmon, on the salmon baks of old, many of them taking pieces which usually took place in the home with them. It is a time to fall or spring to celebrate the express appreciation for the coming of the chinook salmon. fish that has supported Charley Jackson, who was northwest Indians for years raised along the Columbia and faces an uncertain future. Discontented fishermen dominated workshop bj Cynthia Stowell A handf ul of vocal fishermen had* little good to say at the two-day mini-workshop held by the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission in The Dalles July 20-21. Turning purely informational sessions into controversy, the fishermen repeatedly called down speakers, programs and suggestions that they felt challenged their rights. Under particular attack was the five-year Columbia River management plan agreed on by the four treaty tribes, two states and federal agencies in 1977. “I’m 100% against the five year plan,” said one fisherwoman, who felt that it gave control of the upriver fishery to the states and U.S. District Judge Belloni. She and others felt that their tribal representatives had “sold out” their treaty rights by signing the agreement. Moderator Harris Teo, Yakima member of the Intertribal Fish Commission, cut some speakers short as they strayed from topics on the agenda, reminding participants that the purpose of the presentations was to convey facts and information, not arouse debate. But by the end of the workshop he too briefly ftanned the plan saying, “The ive year plan proved that you can’t negotiate anything with the state. Let's lay to rest that crazy plan.” The largely negative atmosphere did produce some positive action, however. Most of the fishermen in attendance signed a resolution calling for summer and fall fisheries above Bonneville Dam.« The resolution, which Intertribal representatives promised to present to the harvest advisory committee meeting this week, recommended a late summer Indian fishery from July 23 to August 11 and a fall season beginning August 25 and continuing through November 30. Fishermen whose livelihood depends on the size of their catches, were primarily concerned with getting their nets into the river. “We want to fish, that’s what we want to do,” said a fisherwoman. “We don't want to listen to what we’ve heard for...years.” Fishermen criticized tribal officials, attorneys, biological experts and the commission for doing a lot of traveling and talking but failing to secure more Tish for the Indians. Defending tribal leaders, Quinault fisheries expert Guy McMinds said, ^'Indian fishermen pick on tribal governments who can only regulate what’s left.” McMinds pointed to the huge ocean harvest as the Indians’greatest, enemy "it makes treaty rights null and void.” Indians have three courses of action, other than courts and politics, in combating the ravages of the ocean fishery, said McMinds: get into the lower river fishery, switch target fisheries, or get into hatchcry production. Teo also advocated hatchery efforts, saying, “We’ve got to get into tne fish-raising business.” He stressed that Indians had done nothing to damage the resource and with education and planning “we will one day manage the resource.” Dale Long of the Intertribal Fish Commission presented a slide show on his agency's efforts to train Indians in fishery technology. His was the only presentation that was not greeted with argument. The Native American Economic Stimulus Program, funded with a Department of Labor grant of $ 180,000, offers hands- on and academic experience in fisheries management and aquaculture, placing students in hatcheries and college classrooms. Locals Ellen Heath, Colleen and Julie Seelatsee, and Nancy Sooksoit are currently training at Humboldt State University in California under this program. Efforts to include upriver salmon and steelhead in the federal Endangered Species Act were described by Dale Evans of the National Marine Fisheries Service. While classification as “threatened” would mean fewer restrictions on the fishery than an “endangered” classification, Evans said that the impact of either course of action on the Indian fishery is unknown at the present time. Fishermen clearly did not want to continue as the sole conservationists, saying they should be the last to have their seasons closed, but in times of crisis everyone should be shut down. Evans said one key to rehabilitating the salmon runs is managing the water as a “fish habitat as well as a kilowatt and wheat producer.” Perhaps the most unpopular ideas presented to fishermen at the workshop were an appeal from a tugboat operator for tried in existing agency court lights on Indian boats and the systems. fish commission’s draft of a The workshop ended uniform law enforcement code. abruptly before the last agenda item (tribal involvement in Tugboat operator Glenn managing the resource) was Comstock told fishermen, introduced. A sharp blow from “We're not concerned with whether you have rights or not. Our main concern is your safety and our . licenses. We cannot see you at night; you have no lights.” He also said that nets were getting close to the traffic lane and tangling in their propellers, costing Indians their nets and tugboat operators drydock time. He recommended lights on the Should District 509-J ends of nets. Fishermen argued that lights continue to offer housing for obscure their night vision and teachers in Warm Springs and are an economichardship. “We Simnasho or should they know we risk our lives every gradually phase out housing time we go out on the river, said one woman, adding that here and bus employees to and z she was weary of “demands” on from their jobs? This question was one of Indian fishermen. Some suggestions were offered to several which came out at Comstock, including more Monday night's school board visible lights and lighter colors meeting when action to on tugboats, and warning authorize the bid on a new horns. They reached a tentative mobile home to replace an compromise—that Indian existing one at Warm Springs, fishermen in particularly was postponed. hazardous places voluntarily Appearing on the agenda as equip their boats with lights. a routine item, board action Umatilla tribal attorney. came to an abrupt halt as Cathy Wilson held a public member Evadna Bartlett hearing on the proposed asked, “If our basic business is uniform law enforcement code education, what are we doing in for the Columbia River, which housing?” has been over a year in the making. The code spells out The district administration regulations for the commercial proposed to purchase a new and ceremonial fisheries and mobile home for the school provides for an intertribal housing area in WarmSprings, court to hear cases of alleged to replace an aging unit already violation. “1 wouldn’t have this plan for in use there. The district anything in the world,’’ said a presently has seven houses and fisnerwoman. Some felt the two mobile homes there, as well code “supersede” their treaty one house at Simnasho. The rignts and instead of housing maintenance and encouraging tribal manage replacement cost comes out of ment of the fishery, it would a housing fund established make criminals of the Indian from rents charged for the fishermen. “Indians don’t want units, and there is not direct to be told what to db,”said one fisherman. "They have old, district outlay of tax funds for the program. unwritten laws they go by.” Bartlett said that there was Tim Wapato, 20-year veteran of the L.A. Police bus transportation already Department and the commis provided by the district for sion’s new law enforcement employees —- to and from official, warned, “If Indian Madras — and explained that people don’t regulate, then the she was having second state will step in.” Two thoughts on the housing. constructive suggestions from Don Aitken, board member, the fishermen were that procedures and regulations in suggested that the district was the code should not depend so not adding but only replacing a heavily on state and federal housing unit, but Bartlett laws but should reflect original countered that the district Indian law, and that cases be should be getting out of Harris Teo’s gavel and the comment “We’re spinning our wheels” sent people home to consider the variety of issues discussed and await decisions on the 1979 fall fishery. Teacher housing on reservation questioned by 509-J school board housing, not replacing it. Board member Larry Hyder said that he could see the need for housing at Simnasho, but not at Warm Springs. Lloyd Smith, Warm Springs member of the school board, said that he disagreed with the idea of getting out of housing. “The program has paid for itself,” he said. Smith went on to say that there would be some legal problems since the housing and the schools had been turned to the district by the Confederated Tribes. “Housing would be a positive factor towards the Warm Springs Community,” Smith said, “It would be better to increase housing. Too many are already far removed from their jobs. I would hate to see all teachers bussed in.” Mrs. Bartlett said that it “would be ideal for some Jeachers to live out there, but I don’t believe that the school district should be in the housing business.” Smith stated that the board must consider the school land situation, and that the housing is on school property. Hyder said that he was not in favor of the district maintaining the housing, but would encourage the Confe derated Tribes to make room in their community for teachers. Smith then said that the board would need some legal advice on the return of the land, and on how that land situation would affect the school. After further discussion, the board decided to postpone action on the mobile home bid and to consider the matter at their August 13 meeting. (Reprinted from The Pioneer)
