Photo: Brandon | Unsplash
The crux of salmon-related successes in Washington state has been the widespread involvement of numerous relevant government bodies at the tribal, city, state and federal level. But within that, the key has been the deep, innate, longstanding wisdom and patience of the tribes. Some might say their insistence, as well. “The problems are incredibly complicated, the population has increased,” said Blake Smith, Fisheries Enhancement Chief with the Puyallup Tribe. “The tribes are an integral part. They’re 100% supportive, but they can’t do it alone.” The focus of Washington tribes on long-term recovery and conservation has helped bring their leaders to the table again and again, particularly in the fight for the future of salmon. Sometimes it has led to conflict, like during the salmon wars of the 1960s and 1970s. But through repeatedly asserting their treaty rights to fish, often through lawsuits and concrete action like protesting by fishing, Washington state tribes have kept salmon, considered sacred, at the center.
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