JUUstice Washington

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You are here: Home / What We Do / Issue Action Teams / First/American Indian Nations (FAIN) / FAIN: Our Work / Challenges to the Salish Sea

Challenges to the Salish Sea

In this space we will be building the story of the Salish Sea, sharing the indigenous perspective and interpretation of the gifts and wonders of this sacred space.  We have very challenging issues here with the fossil fuel and other industries, pollutants and toxins on land and in the water, congestive vessel traffic and shipping noise, severe adverse impacts on wild/marine life to the point of several Endangered Species Act listing, disputes with Treaty Rights, and more.

It’s a space with a place in time immemorial, with a sacred name.  It deserves our respect and our due diligence.

Here are some resolutions passed by the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians:

ATNI Resolution-18-32:  2018 Mid-Year Convention – “TOKITAE, THE SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALE POPULATION, AND THESALISH SEA: OUR SACRED OBLIGATION”

ATNI Resolution 19-29:  2019 Mid-Year Convention – “THE SALISH SEA AND OUR SACRED OBLIGATION”



JUUstWA Signs onto NGO ltr on the Columbia River Treaty

Posted on 14. October 2022 by webmaster

Association of Northwest Steelheaders ● Boulder-White Clouds Council ● Center for Environmental Law and Policy ● Columbia Riverkeeper ● Deschutes River Alliance ● Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light ● Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs ● Faith Action Network ● Great Old Broads for Wilderness ● Greater Hells Canyon Council ● Idaho Conservation League ● Idaho Rivers United ● Idaho Wildlife Federation ● JUUstice Washington ● League of Women Voters of Washington ● Native Fish Society ● Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment ● Northwest Guides and Anglers Association ● Oregon Coast Alliance ● Oregon Wild ● Portland Audubon ● Save our Wild Salmon Coalition ● The Lands Council ● WaterWatch of Oregon ● Washington Wildlife Federation ● Washington Wild ● Wild Orca ● Wild Steelhead Coalition ● Snake River Waterkeeper ● Sierra Club

March 14, 2023 President Joe Biden 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington D.C. 20500 RE: U.S.-Canada Columbia River Treaty: Expand the U.S. Entity to Improve Governance and Outcomes Dear President Biden, On behalf of millions of our members, we write to request that your Administration take action to improve the governance of the U.S - Canada Columbia River Treaty (“Treaty”). Specifically, we ask that you use your executive authority to expand the U.S. Entity, the body that implements the Treaty for the U.S., to include a representative(s) for the health of the river’s ecosystem. We believe this action is urgently needed and in lockstep with your Administration’s commitment to improving transparency and representation in the governance of nature’s bounty, which in the case of the Columbia River, underpins the entirety of the Northwest’s environment, culture, and economy. As you are aware, the United States – led by the State Department – and Canada are currently negotiating to modernize this 60-year old Treaty. The U.S. negotiating position is informed by the 2013 U.S. Entity Regional Recommendation for the Future of the Columbia River Treaty after 2024, which includes recommendations to improve the health of the Columbia River ecosystem for salmon and other species. Currently, Treaty dams in Canada impact U.S. salmon runs by reducing spring and early summer flows when juvenile salmon are migrating to the ocean, reducing overall adult returns. Enhancing these flows is especially critical in low-to-moderate water years, both to improve juvenile outmigration survival as well as to keep the river cooler longer through the summer. This impact is both an environmental and a social justice issue. Fortunately, both countries, with the strong support of Tribes in the U.S. and Indigenous Nations in Canada, have elevated the health of the river as an important purpose of a modernized Treaty. As such, an additional representative(s) on the U.S. Entity will also be necessary to ensure that the implementation of the Treaty can effectively fulfill this purpose. The U.S. Entity is currently comprised of the Bonneville Power Administration (“BPA”) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“USACE”). We strongly believe BPA and USACE are unable to give voice to the needs of salmon and the health of the river while simultaneously speaking for hydroelectric production and flood risk management. Over thirty years of failure by these agencies to stop, much less reverse, the salmon extinction crisis in the Columbia Basin supports this conclusion. Instead, a federal agency (or agencies) with expertise and a focus on the environment, and/or Tribal nations or entities, will be far better suited to represent the needs of the river and its fish and wildlife. Please note that we are well aware of the current push to reach an agreement with Canada on a modernized Treaty as soon as possible. With this request, we are not recommending a delay in negotiations but rather ask that this change to Treaty governance be made as or before we transition from negotiation to implementation of a modernized Treaty.
We also would like to request the opportunity to schedule a virtual meeting with relevant members of your Administration soon, as well as an in-person meeting, likely in spring, to discuss these issues further. We will follow up soon for this purpose. In the meantime, if you have questions or if we can assist in any way, please contact: Joseph Bogaard at joseph@wildsalmon.org. Thank you very much for your consideration. Sincerely, Joseph Bogaard, Executive Director Save our Wild Salmon Coalition Dan Ritzman, Director Lands, Water, Wildlife Campaign Sierra Club Neil Brandt, Executive Director WaterWatch of Oregon Lunell Haught, President League of Women Voters of Washington Trish Rolfe, Executive Director Center for Environmental Law and Policy Rev. AC Churchill, Executive Director Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light Miles Johnson, Legal Director Columbia Riverkeeper Mitch Cutter, Salmon & Steelhead Associate Idaho Conservation League Stephen Pfeiffer, Conservation Associate Idaho Rivers United Brian Brooks, Executive Director Idaho Wildlife Federation John McGlenn, President Washington Wildlife Federation
Buck Ryan, Executive Director Snake River Waterkeeper Elise DeGooyer, Executive Director Faith Action Network Grant Putnam, President Northwest Guides and Anglers Association Jason Wedemeyer, Executive Director Association of Northwest Steelheaders Cameron La Follette, Executive Director Oregon Coast Alliance Steve Pedery, Conservation Director Oregon Wild Tom Uniack, Executive Director Washington Wild Amanda Parrish, Executive Director The Lands Council Joe Liebezeit, Interim Statewide Conservation Director Portland Audubon Mark Sherwood, Executive Director Native Fish Society Julian Matthews, Director Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment George Milne, President Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs Sarah Cloud, Executive Director Deschutes River Alliance Rich Simms, Founding Member Wild Steelhead Coalition
Deborah Giles, PhD., Science and Research Director Wild Orca Deb Cruz, President JUUstice Washington Emily Cain, Executive Director Greater Hells Canyon Council Lynne Stone, Director Boulder-White Clouds Council Genia Moncada, Leadership Team, Advocacy Chair Polly Dyer Seattle Broads Great Old Broads for Wilderness CC: Brenda Mallory, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality Antony Blinken, Secretary, U.S. Department of State

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Why Remove The 4 Lower Snake River Dams?

Posted on 04. July 2022 by webmaster

dam.large.ppThe Northwest would not be what it is today without hydroelectricity from the region’s dams. Yet one simple fact remains: not all dams are created equal. Below is a list of commonly asked questions about Columbia and Snake River salmon and the four lower Snake River dams with answers from regional stakeholders. Also check out the Myths & Facts page. 1. Why do scientists support partial removal of the 4 lower Snake River dams?

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Sound the Alarm!

Posted on 03. June 2022 by webmaster

Watch this video of a recent massive mobilization call to alert allies and friends from coast to coast that Wet’suwet’en people need their help to Stop The Drilling under their sacred headwaters, Wedzin Kwa. Attendees will hear from Sleydo’, Chief Na’Moks, and Chief Woos about what’s happening right now on the Yintah. You’ll hear about the violence, surveillance and intimidation that is escalating on Wet’suwet’en territory, and what they can do to help stop the drilling and call off the RCMP. https://youtu.be/XBMji4358vI

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The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe calls on Seattle to remove the Gorge Dam

Posted on 26. July 2021 by webmaster

This article is one of a pair of stories about the Skagit River and the federal process to relicense three major hydroelectric dams along its length. Read the companion story here. As he explored his ancestral homeland, Schuyler visited the upper Skagit River Valley, where he encountered the Gorge Dam. When the city of Seattle decided to dam the Skagit River in the early 1900s, it chose a sacred area known as “The Valley of the Spirits,” without consulting the Upper Skagit, who at the time were fighting for their survival. “You look throughout the world’s cultures,” Schuyler said, “when they have their individual stories in their culture of how life began, this is it for us. I can’t explain the emotions of seeing this historic wrong, and the hurt.” Read more here.

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2nd Call for Support:  Bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut Home!

Posted on 01. May 2021 by webmaster

Netse Mot:  Support Lummi Nation and Xw’ullemy (the Salish Sea) 

2nd Call for Support:  Bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut Home!

JUUstice Washington has signed . . .
Board of Trustees of the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship has signed . . .
Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship’s Social and Environmental Justice Committee has signed . . .

Have you?

We are being called upon as groups and organizations to support the effort to bring Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut home to the Pacific Northwest.  Specifically, we are being asked to sign a request to Governor’s Inslee (WA) and Brown (OR) and B.C. Premier John Horgan to sign a proclamation to support the efforts to bring her home.  This is different than the petition to Miami Seaquarim for individuals that went out earlier.
Please sign by 24 May 2021 as a group or organization.  The desired goal is present it to the Governors in June during Orca Action Month for signing.  Here's the link to the form to be signed by your group, congregation or organization.  The text of that proclamation is listed below.
I realize that many of us have specific procedures and protocols that we are required to adhere to, especially as faith-based congregations and we may not be able to achieve congregational resolutions by the 24 May deadline.  Please try where you are able to do so.  If you are not able to come forward with a full congregational resolution or organizational support, then by all means, request that your various racial, Indigenous-related and/or environmental justice teams and Indigenous teams to sign on as their respective groups.
For those of you unfamiliar with the story of Skk’aliCh’el-tenaut, here’s brief synopsis.
In 1970, a number of young Southern Resident Orca relations were violently captured from their native Salish Sea waters and sold to aquariums. Only one of these qwe’lhol’mechen survives to this day. Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, who has also been called “Tokitae” and “Lolita” in captivity, remains the star attraction of Miami Seaquarium, where she is held in the world’s smallest orca tank, subjected to relentless sun and extreme social isolation.
The Southern Resident Orcas of the Salish Sea are culturally and spiritually significant to the Coast Salish peoples whose territories overlap with that of the orcas. In particular, the Lhaq’temish people of Lummi Nation consider these orcas to be family. The Lummi term for orcas is qwe’lhol’mechen, meaning “the people under water,” and ancestral teachings hold that there are kinship bonds between the Lhaq’temish and orca peoples.
In 2017, Lummi Nation was called to work to bring Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut home. In 2019, Lummi elders Squil-le-he-le (Raynell Morris) and Tah-Mahs (Ellie Kinley) invoked their legal, cultural, and spiritual rights in calling for her release and homecoming, and announcing their intent to sue on the grounds of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) should negotiations not be successful. They are represented by Earth Law Center on the legal front, and are working with the Whale Sanctuary Project on the operational front. There is now a comprehensive plan that details how to safely and responsibly bring Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut out of captivity and back home to the Salish Sea. The plan is grounded and guided by Lummi culture and oversight, and is a living document that will change according to Sk’aliCh’elh- tenaut’s needs as they change over time. The ongoing health and well-being of Sk’aliCh’elh- tenaut, her Southern Resident Orca family, and the Salish Sea are centered in this plan.
Other background resources are:
Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, Sacred Sea: for a living Salish Sea at sacredsea.org
Here’s a heart-wrenching and warming explanatory video:  https://vimeo.com/266726774
Background.Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut.4.1.21
https://juustwa.org/program-areas/issues/first-american-indian-nations/our-work/totem-pole-journeys/tokitae/ and https://juustwa.org/program-areas/issues/first-american-indian-nations/our-work/totem-pole-journeys/tokitae/tokitae-totem-pole-returns-home/
You can also google “Tokitae” and view other websites, articles and videos regarding Lummi Nation’s work to bring her home.
 

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Red Road to DC Totem Pole Journey

Posted on 22. April 2021 by webmaster

Lummi Nation elder Lucille Spencer prays over a nearly 25-foot totem pole, to be gifted from the tribe to the administration of President Joe Biden, in view of Mount Baker, background, shortly after the pole was moved from a carving shed Monday, April 19, 2021, on the Lummi Reservation, near Bellingham, Washington. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Below is the the bare bones schedule of stops so far on the Red Road to DC Totem Pole Journey.  For details right now, you have to go the the “Our Shared Responsibility” Facebook page and look up events. The schedule is changing minute by minute so please follow on Facebook!  Please pass this information onto all your family, friends, networks, associations and connections. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
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Lummi Nation House of Tears Carvers, led by Master Carver Jewell Praying Wolf James, is based in Bellingham, WA is renown for its Totem Pole Journeys.  The House carves Totem Poles and gifts them to Tribes and Nations across the North American continent.
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This year they are doing the Red Road to DC having carved a Totem Pole in honor of Sacred Sites, bringing attention to, and promoting the protection and restoration of, sacred lands, landscapes, and waterways.   The Journey will also bring attention to the urgent need to address the crisis in Xw’ullemy (the Salish Sea), and to the sacred obligation to restore and protect waterways critical to the future of the salmon.   It will also stop for ceremony and special events in other areas that are threatened by unsustainable destructive practices we see here in our home waters.
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There are two tours the Northwest/West Coast tour and the National Tour.  The West Coast Journey which began locally on 21 April 2021, will visit Tribes/Nations and communities up and down the West Coast starting here in Washington State and stopping in Oregon and California.  It will continue until the National Tour which will begin some time in July.
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The National Tour will then take the Totem Pole cross-country visiting Chaco Canyon, Grand Canyon, Bears Ears, Black Hills and Missouri River.  There may be a stop in Minnesota for Line #3 as well.  They’ll take the Totem Pole to Washington DC and it will be presented to Biden and an exhibit within the Smithsonian.  The final placement of the Totem Pole will be up to the White House and the Smithsonian.
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PLEASE DONATE!!  This Journey would not happen if not for the continuing generosity of communities along the way.  Funds will be used to cover costs of gas and to provide food and lodging for the 6-person crew coming your way.  Small and large donations are very gratefully accepted and appreciated.  DONATE HERE!
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"The protection of Indigenous sacred places, Ancestors, cultural items, medicines, and cultural ways of life are paramount, and Native Nations’, traditional societies’, ceremonial grounds’, and Indigenous spiritual leaders’ authority on these matters must be given full weight and center around Indigenous free, prior, and informed consent​. These are matters that pertain to: our self-determination; our families, past, present, and future; and our ability to practice our ways of life. They represent a sacred duty and traditional law, which are indigenous to these lands.
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The harms done to our sacred places, Ancestors, and cultural ways of life violate our natural rights, constitutional rights, natural & spiritual laws, and individual freedoms. These harms have taken an immeasurable toll on the health, safety, welfare, and well-being of our Peoples and caused drastic and intergenerational trauma, sickness, loss, and death.
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The need for the journey is part of an old story written across all indigenous lands.  It is a story of coercion and violence, with new players, big money,  and cooption of corrupt politicians and coopted agencies.  The Indians are in the way of ‘progress’:  Indians and their sacred grounds, their burial grounds, their customary way of life, and  Indians who value family and future generations above short-term profit.  The Red Road totem pole journey from the Salish Sea to Washington, DC,  tells our story in our terms,  based on our history,  and based on our ancestral, inherent rights.  It is a journey for now, for our ancestors, and for future generations."
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Here are some links to the Journey to provide some background on Totem Pole and the Journey.
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This is the place to follow them on the Journey and the events are listed here as well.  On many of the events pages is listed the contact info for the event coordinator should you have any questions https://www.facebook.com/totempolejourney
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Here’s a video link of Jewell Praying Wolf James, describing the imagery and symbols on the Totem Pole:  https://youtu.be/oLsOweAedgo
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The National Tour: Lummi Nation carvers and allies to embark on national tour to D.C., give totem pole to President Biden
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Respect to COVID protocols will be adhered to.  Mask up and Social Distance!  Protect our Elders!
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Netse Mot: Bringing Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut Home!

Posted on 19. April 2021 by webmaster

An orca breaches in view of Mount Baker in the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands (AP, 2015/Eliane Thompson)

Netse Mot 2021-Call to bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut Home

2021 will focus on the return of Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut (Tokitae/Lolita) to the Pacific Northwest from Miami Seaquarim in Florida.  In the 1970s Southern Resident Orca youth were forcibly and violently taken from their pods and shipped out to aquariums and parks all over the world. Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut (Tokitae/Lolita) was taken to Miami Seaquarium where she is the last surviving Orca youth taken.  Lummi Nation has been trying for decades now to have her returned but Miami Seaquarim is refusing to release her.  In 2019, two Lummi women, Squil-le-he-le and Mah Tahs working with Earth Law Center, invoked the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and announced their intent to sue Miami Seaquarium if the Seaquarium.  To date (April 2021), Miami Seaquarim is still refusing to release Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut. Squil-le-he-le and Mah Tahs are calling upon us to respond as well.
  1. For individuals, they are asking that we sign the petition established by Earth Law Center that is collecting signatures to go to Miami Seaquarim and its parent and affiliates—Palace Entertainment and Parques Reunidos Servicios Centrales SA.
  2. For groups and organizations, they are asking that we sign a request to Governor's Inslee (WA) and Brown (OR) and BC Premier John Horgan to sign a proclamation to support the efforts to bring her home.  Please sign by 24 May 2021.  We'd like to present it to the Governors in June during Orca Action Month.
  3. We are also being asked to reach out to other Indigenous connections we may have and invite them to sign the Indigenous Statement of Solidarity.  The request also includes a video of ceremonies in solidarity.  If you have connections with an Indigenous group, please ask them to contact  Julie at info@sacredsea.org.
More info can be found at sacredsea.org or our other webpages on the Totem Pole Journeys dedicated to her at https://juustwa.org/program-areas/issues/first-american-indian-nations/our-work/totem-pole-journeys/tokitae/ and https://juustwa.org/program-areas/issues/first-american-indian-nations/our-work/totem-pole-journeys/tokitae/tokitae-totem-pole-returns-home/

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Planned Roberts Bank Terminal Threatens Orcas

Posted on 19. March 2021 by webmaster

Washington state has made significant commitments to and investments in the protection and recovery of these killer whales, their critical Salish Sea habitat, and their food web, which hinges on the availability of Chinook salmon. The terminal will threaten the progress made to date on recommendations of the Governor’s Orca Task Force and on state legislation that has ensued from its deliberations. Even ignoring the added risks of oil spills and ship strikes, there would still be a major increase in underwater noise levels from these massive container ships that will further limit the orcas’ ability to echolocate, communicate and hunt. Over 40 organizations and nearly 100,000* individuals have asked Governor Inslee to oppose the Roberts Bank terminal project, signing a petition addressed to him. And they have asked that if the project is approved in spite of their strong objections, he should insist that robust risk-mitigation measures — such as an emergency tug strategically located along the vessels’ path — be required to protect the orcas, salmon and Washington state environment. Read more here.

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Roberts Bank Container Terminal Threatens Orcas

Posted on 19. March 2021 by webmaster

As currently planned, Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) would be built in the sub-tidal waters of the Fraser River delta adjacent to the Westshore coal terminal, on 437 acres of critical habitat for salmon and migratory birds. Once in existence, it would significantly increase the Port’s capacity for larger container ships and also induce more container-ship traffic through the trans-boundary waters of the Salish Sea — by up to 520 transits per year. The massive “Mega-Max” container ships that could call on this terminal typically carry 18 to 24 thousand containers. They can also carry much larger amounts of propulsion fuels, in some cases over 4 million gallons worth, which could dramatically increase the extent of an oil spill from a container-ship collision or grounding. Read more here.

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Report: Salmon in WA are ‘teetering on the brink of extinction’

Posted on 18. March 2021 by webmaster

Washington’s salmon are “teetering on the brink of extinction,” according to a new report. It says the state must change how it’s responding to climate change and the growing number of people in Washington. Washington’s State of Salmon in Watersheds report says time is running out for the Northwest’s iconic fish. The report shows a trend of warming waters and habitat degradation is causing trouble for its salmon runs. Ten of the 14 threatened or endangered salmon and steelhead runs in the state are not getting any better. Of those, five are “in crisis.” Read more here.

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Bring Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut Home!

Posted on 16. March 2021 by Deb Cruz

Special Alert!

A request on behalf of Deb Cruz, JUUstice Washington's President 
It's long been since time . . .

Bring Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut Home!

A sacred request from Squil-le-he-le (Raynell Morris) and Tah-Mahs (Ellie Kinley) "Our Lhaq'temish [Lummi] people have had a special relationship with our killer whales since time immemorial. We know them as qwe’lhol’mechen, which means “people under the water.”  Our stories tell of intermarriage and kinship between our Lhaq'temish people and a local qwe’lhol’mechen clan we know as Sk’aliCh’elh. Fifty years ago, as our own children were being stolen and sent to boarding schools, one of the Sk’aliCh’elh children was stolen and sold to the Miami Seaquarium. We call this orca whale “Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut,” which means daughter of Sk’aliCh’elh. She is our Lhaq'temish daughter, too. She has been held in a small concrete tank and forced to perform for her food since 1970. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People recognizes and uphold our rights to our culture, our spirituality, our families.  In order for our Lhaq'temish culture, spirituality, and family to be whole, we must bring Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut home. We are working with the world’s top scientists and experts on how to do this responsibly. We have a plan, but we do not yet have Miami Seaquarium’s agreement to release her into our care. We are asking all individuals to sign our Petition, as put forth by our partners at the Earth Law Center." Hy’shqe, Squil-le-he-le (Raynell Morris) Tah-Mahs (Ellie Kinley) Enrolled members of Lummi Nation Please pass this onto family, friends, allies and partners.  Ask them to sign the petition.  It is believed that an overwhelming show of support, Miami Seaquarium’s parent companies might do the right thing and allow the Lhaq'temish people to bring their relation home to the Salish Sea, where they and her orca family await her. For more information, check the links below: Links: 
  • Ceremonies for Ska’liCh’elh-tenaut Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Ceremonies-for-Skalichelh-tenaut-111624844000057
  • SacredSea.org Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut page: https://sacredsea.org/skalichelhtenaut/
  • Petition link: https://www.change.org/p/miami-seaquarium-free-endangered-orca-held-captive-at-miami-seaquarium-for-50-years
  • SacredSea YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0qWShmGWtn3HPU-cpWj81Q
Thank you for your ongoing support of Lummi Nation!

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Seaquarim's Shame: Episode 2 - Talequah

Posted on 28. February 2021 by webmaster

A mother orca grieves the death of her only minutes old baby in the Salish Sea in the summer of 2018. The world media becomes fixated. 4 years later she has a new baby boy, Phoenix. A landlocked girl from Ohio won’t let her dreams of the sea go unrealized. Be there as has her first encounter with an orca. Today she is an accomplished marine naturalist & creator & hosts one of the best podcasts on the Southern Residents: Breaching Extinction. A Vietnam war veteran discovers Indian Country, finding where things feel right, after years on a motorcycle discovering America. Meet an ally of The Lummi First nation who’s been witness & supporter in their fight to save the Qw'e lh'ol me chen.

Listen here.

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Seaquarim's Shame: Episode 1 - Tokitae

Posted on 28. February 2021 by webmaster

Something is wrong at Miami Seaquarium.. They have been keeping an orca who doesn’t belong to them for over 50 years. A produce salesman turned vegan activist fights for over a decade on the street corner in front of Miami Seaquarium, turning away thousands of cars. A new legal fight launches in 2020 headed by The Lummi Nation of the Pacific North West. Still: 19,785 days later Lolita the whale remains alone in the smallest tank in the world. Episode 1: Tokitae

Listen here.

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Podcast | Past the dams, tribes help the Columbia River roll on

Posted on 10. February 2021 by webmaster

Few rivers define a region like the Columbia, where tribal scientists are making headway in bringing back its most important species: salmon.

Few rivers define a region like the Columbia. Since time immemorial, it’s been a food source, a dividing line and a driver of culture and politics throughout the Pacific Northwest. And since humans have lived on it, we’ve sung about it — from Native hymns to Woody Guthrie’s “Roll On, Columbia.”
Ever since white settlers first came west, people have gone from relying on its seasonal bounty to attempting to tame it for their own purposes. Of those efforts, nothing has transformed the Columbia like the 18 dams that generate low-cost electricity and create reservoirs that support Washington’s year-round agricultural industry. Woody even wrote a song about the largest of those dams, the Grand Coulee — a 500-foot-tall, nearly milelong wall of concrete that is among the largest objects built by human hands. Read and listen to more here.

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Billy Frank Jr. could replace Washington’s statue of Marcus Whitman

Posted on 10. February 2021 by webmaster

Efforts to take down the missionary’s statue have resurfaced this year with a proposal to replace it with the renowned Nisqually activist. On-and-off efforts to memorialize the Nisqually activist have bubbled up in recent years, with some tribes and school districts celebrating Billy Frank Jr. Day as a way to recall his legacy. This year, a state bill could make these efforts for recognition national. Read more here.

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As lawsuits mount, government looks into removing Electron Dam

Posted on 16. January 2021 by webmaster

Just last week, the Puyallup Tribe announced it was suing the owner of the dam, Electron Hydro, LLC, over a long list of environmental hazards and permit violations — including a fish kill that caused the death of thousands of fish and the pollution of the river with un-permitted artificial turf, both of which occurred during construction last summer. That’s in addition to a lawsuit from the Department of Justice over the Clean Water Act. That lawsuit is specifically in response to the artificial turf incident, in which hundreds of cubic yards of turf that dam owner Electron Hydro had placed in the river disintegrated into crumb rubber and flowed downstream to the Puget Sound. Read more here.

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For tribes, climate change fight is about saving culture

Posted on 11. January 2021 by webmaster

The Tulalips are expanding efforts to protect land and water that are integral to their identity.

When Terry Williams grew interested in climate change in the 1970s, he found information about human-caused global warming to be conflicting and confusing. “It didn’t make sense until the early ’80s, when we saw a difference in the timing of the floods,” the Tulalip Tribes elder recalled. Later studies bore out what was happening in the tribes’ traditional lands. “The glaciers were melting two to three months early. We got floods in November and December instead of March and April. Rainfall had increased 6%.” The 5,000 enrolled Tulalip citizens are primarily from the Snohomish, Snoqualmie and Skykomish tribes. In three river systems with the same names, ever-bigger and earlier floods wash away salmon eggs or bury them in river sediment. Higher water temperatures may kill fish that do manage to hatch. They never make it to Puget Sound. If salmon can’t survive, what will happen to a Native culture based on a plentiful supply? Read more here.

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Salmon spawn in the upper Columbia after an 80-year hiatus

Posted on 03. January 2021 by webmaster

Bringing salmon back to the Upper Columbia has been a goal since the habitat was blocked by the Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams more than eight decades ago. Tribal members held the Ceremony of Tears 80 years ago when the final run of salmon returned. “Our ancestors carried a prayer that our salmon would one day return to the Upper Columbia. With all the prayers that were made historically and today, combined with all the efforts of our fisheries staff, our leaders and many others who are joined in this effort, we can bring our fish home,” Colville Business Council chairman Rodney Cawston said in a statement. In a 2019 ceremony, Colville members released 30 salmon above Chief Joseph Dam and, a few days later, above Grand Coulee. It was the first time salmon had returned to their traditional waters. Read more here.

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US Army Corps of Engineers rejects Pebble Mine permit application, likely killing project

Posted on 26. November 2020 by webmaster

On Wednesday, 25 November, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied the permit application for the proposed Pebble Mine, an open-pit copper, gold, and molybdenum extraction project proposed for the headwaters of Bristol Bay, Alaska – North America's most prolific salmon habitat. The Corps “determined that the applicant’s plan for the discharge of fill material does not comply with Clean Water Act guidelines and concluded that the proposed project is contrary to the public interest,” Col. Damon Delarosa, commander of the Corps in Alaska, said a prepared statement, according to Alaska Public.

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Yakama Nation case could set precedent for sacred tribal sites in WA

Posted on 05. October 2020 by webmaster

Wanapine village, which sits on a ridge in Selah, a small town bordering Yakima to the north, has been mired in the court system for years. The Yakama Nation has been battling Yakima County and Granite Northwest, which seeks to expand its gravel mine from 26 acres to more than 160.
Yakima County officials have twice approved the expansion, which the Yakama Nation appealed twice and then sued the county and the mining company in 2017. The case could spend several more years in court because of the complexity and cutting edge nature of the cultural resource protection laws being debated, according to Ethan Jones, the Yakama Nation’s lead attorney in the case. Read more here.

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FAIN Our Work – Salish Sea

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      • Lummi Invitation: Netse Mot: One Mind for Xw’ullemy
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