Indigenous fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest are being threatened

Plus, Napa Valley businesses speak on wildfires [View this email in your browser]( Indigenous people have lived, fished, and hunted in the Pacific Northwest for what they call “time immemorial.” Those who live along the Columbia River and on the coast of the Salish Sea are sometimes known as the Salmon People, and the fish are central to local creation stories and ceremonies. A series of treaties in the 1850s was intended to legally recognize these Nations as stewards of the sea and land, but those fishing rights, which many tribes depend on for sustenance and economic livelihood, are under constant threat. I spoke with members of the Skokomish, Nisqually, and Lummi tribes about [the past and present of these fishing rights](. Some likened fishing to attending church on Sunday, though each explained how political disputes over tribal sovereignty — coupled with the environmental ravages of climate change have created a hostile atmosphere for tribal fisherpeople. Still, many tribes continue to protect and revitalize the environment through projects like salmon hatcheries and habitat restorations. The work is helping to heal the entire Pacific Northwest region where salmon were once abundant. It’s work they will never give up, no matter how dire the circumstances. "I don’t want to be the generation that catches the last fish," Willie Frank, the son of legendary fishing rights activist Billy Frank and a member of the Nisqually Tribal Council, told me. “So we have to be the voice of the salmon and the voice of the water.” Be well and wear a mask, Elisabeth Sherman, assistant food and drink editor CULTURE [Indigenous fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest are being threatened. Here’s why they must be protected.]( [Attacks on Indigenous fishermen are disturbingly commonplace in the Pacific Northwest. For many tribes, protecting and maintaining treaty rights is a main pillar of their mission as sovereign nations — and skeptical, and sometimes outright racist, citizens are far from the only threat to tribal treaty fishing rights that Indigenous fisherpeople face.]( [PROTECT FISHING RIGHTS]( LATEST ARTICLES FOOD + DRINK [How food can teach us about Indigenous traditions and culture]( NEWS [Napa Valley businesses speak on damage amid the devastating Glass Fire]( RESTAURANTS + BARS [6 bars from movies that you can actually drink at]( NEWS [This Istanbul hotel has the world’s first baklava butler]( FOOD + DRINK [The science behind how to make fall soups taste so much better, according to Nik Sharma]( WILD TODDLER CHRONICLES [EP 1: Motivations]( Like most travelers, Brian and Pamela wondered about how having a child would change their lifestyles. Before their daughter Kaiya was born, they’d taken international backpacking trips through Southeast Asia, Central America, India, and Nepal. Now, with two-year-old Kaiya in tow, they hit the road again, vowing to raise her “with a love of wild mountain air.” [WATCH THE FILM]( FOLLOW US AND FIND YOUR NEXT #TRAVELSTOKE [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( Copyright © 2020 Matador Network, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: Matador Network PO Box 7775 #40021San Francisco, CA 94120 [Add us to your address book]( Need to change something? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from our newsletter](. We'll be here when you need us!