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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (July 8, 1981)
Spllyay Tymoo Paoe 4 July 8,1981 Editorial E Coosh EEWA: 1 (The way it is) Letters to the Editor Steelhead preservation should be main concern Bill MacMillan—Member of the Clark-Skamania Fly fishers, 36607 N.E. Washougal River Road, Washougal, Washington 98671 A TESTIMONY AGAINST THE DECOMMERCIALI— ZATION OF STEELHEAD AND S 874 (Given June 29, 1981 Seattle, Washington) Flyfishing is ah inheritance that I’ve never chosen to question. I am passing this inheritance, now three generations old, to my son whose enthusiasm for the sport seems every bit as intense as his father’s and grandfather’s. Despite personal convictions toward fishing method, it’s important to understand the roots of another man’s joy and philosophy, and likewise important, in this day and age, to determine if that man’s joys and philosophy can be a political ally to ensure a mutual future. Realistically, all of those who fish for steelhead should be political allies bound by mutual concerns toward species preservation no matter what individual philosophies may be concerning method of capture—fly, spinner, bait, or net. The overriding concern of all parties must be the preservation and even enhancement of steelhead. Today, we’re examining legislation that negates the possibility for a powerful political alliance to preserve steelhead by further length ening and intensifying a counter-productive internal war between two of the main user groups—the sport fishermen and the Indian fishermen. The end design is to efectively eliminate the Indian as a significant user group and allow the sportmen to add the Indian harvest to his catch — the end result being the same number of dead steelhead combined with a 75 percent reduction in national political punch to fight for the preservation of steelhead. It’s been a feud of more than 10 years duration that was given a legal definition with the Boldt decision in 1974, a decision which fish and game agencies admit does not jeopardize steelhead, yet, the internal war between these two user groups goes on with unceasing intensity. While the user groups have been at war the combined forces of timber, agriculture, and power interests have been deligently expanding their activities with devastating impact on habitat and fishlife. Money that should have been spent fighting these far more awesome and permanent threats to salmon and steelhead has been thrown in the endless drainhole of lobbyists and lawyers who lengthen the internal user war with steelhead the ultimate Looking forward to ’82 Pi-Ume-Sha To The Editor Along with the Pi-Um-Sha committee members I would like to take this opportunity to express my feelings and appreciation to all the people who attended and participated in this years Pi-Ume-Sha Powwow. I feel this was a successful event as everything went well with a lot of cooperation from all, and this I appreciate. There were representitives from all over the United States and Canada present providing great entertainment. We are looking foward to next year for another successful event. Again Thanks. losers. Sportsmen must begin to re examine the Indian issue from the standpoint of reality rather emotion. The Indians have proven themselves as a powerful national political power who have consistently fought for the correct conservation issues that directly protect adult steelhead, downstream smplts, and juvenile rearing habitat. Few northwest rivers still maintain really strong runs of wild spawning steelhead and it’s no accident that a strong proportion of these happen to be on rivers that have Indian reservations that use,protect, and in some instances even enhance these wild popula tions — rivers such as the Quinault, Queets, Hoh, Deschutes, and Klickitat being among them. Unless Indians can continue to catch these steelhead commercially there will be no reason for them to protect steelhead habitat and certainly no reason for enhancement projects such as that on the Quinault river where steelhead are selected and reared in the best managed quality steelhead hatchery program south of the Canadian border—A manage ment that fills the Quinaults commercial needsand provides for excellent adult escapement for anglers and wild spawning. Olympia Peninsula anglers have recognized the merits of this Indian program, and the sensible cooperation of the Forks Chapter of Trout Unlimited with the Quinaults, Queets, and Hoh river Indian has resulted in quality hatchery programs on four Peninsula rivers-one state funded and the others Indian-that benefit both user groups. This should be a working model for the rest of us, but somehow has been ignored. The Indian has earned his right to steelhead which has been an essential cog in the northwest Indian lifestyle and working economy for countless centuries. Most recently the Indian has certainly earned this right to steelhead by politically confronting and backing steelhead conservation issues. The Indian polictical machine is an invaluable ally that sportsmen can no longer afford to alienate. Without the Indian to help fight the 90 percent smolt turbine kill during downstream migration over the dams during low flow years on the Columbia River, upriver wild anadtoumous fish stocks bound for. tributaries in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho very simply will no longer exist. Only political alliances that include the Indian can successfully win Columbia River water flow guarantees necessary to anadromous fish moving up and downstream. On several other rivers, likewise, we simply can not afford to lose that potential of a powerful sport and Indian alliance. I urge you all to look on the Indian as a ally toward the preservation of steelhead despite spiritual, philosophical, and economic differences concerning the manner in which steelhead are harvested. The Indian and the sportsmen are user groups taking approximately equal numbers of steelhead. Beyond that are giant corporate and political forces that are systematically destroying habitat and managing water flows in direct conflict with fish production. If we as sportsmen choose to arrogantly fight that battle alone, the conclusion is inevitable — anadromous runs on the Columbia River will simply cease to be. Wild steelhead runs to many smaller river systems will be drastically compromised — perhaps, too, eliminated. Our arrogance can only yield a very hollow victory. Thanks from Miss Pi-Ume-Sha I would like to thank all my friends and relatives for their encouragement and their support. Special thanks to my grandma Laura for her help with the costume and thanks to Amelia Yahtin for making the skirt. Love and gratitude Lenoni Starr Miss Pi-Ume-Sha Sammy Colwash Pi-Ume-Sha Committee Support appreciated In behalf of the children of Margie and Victor Smith; Donetta, Dona van Burns and Victor Smith Jr.; the grandparents, Mable and Bill Eyle; the father, Sammy and Jeannie Danzuka; the mother; Lena Santos and family,, we would like to express our appreciation to all our relations for their kind support upon the death of our family member. We are deeply grateful for the families who hunted the deer, brought the salmon, dug roots, brought the huckleber ries, cooked in the kitchen; brought gifts and guided us through one of the most difficult times we’ve faced as a family, and through the ceremonies. We are honored to have the funeral rites conducted by the ‘ Warm Springs Shaker Church. Without the guidance and blessings of the elders present and the Smith family, we , would of not have been able to face the loss of our Junior Royalty daughter/ sister alone. The Junior Court for the Fourth of July celebration reignea over the day’s events at the 26th annual Respectfully yours, Lena Santos Fun Date events. Theday s events consisted of aparade, barbeque luncheon, BMX races, gamesand a fireworks display. Pictured above in the back row from left to right are Junior Queen Gayleen Adams, Lena Mitts, Tiffany Smith and Jamie McKinley. In the front row from Mt to right are Angela Smith, first runner-up; Louella Heath, second runner-up; and Noni McCraigie. SpUyay Tymoo photo by Behrend
