'The Right to Feed Our People' Fish Wars - Part 1

Article 3 of the Medicine Creek Treaty reads, “The right of taking fish, at all usual and accustomed grounds and stations, is further secured to said Indians in common with all citizens of the Territory, and of erecting temporary houses for the purpose of curing, together with the privilege of hunting, gathering roots and berries, and pasturing their horses on open and unclaimed lands: Provided, however, that they shall not take shellfish from any beds staked or cultivated by citizens, and that they shall alter all stallions not intended for breeding-horses, and shall keep up and confine the latter.”

In this episode, participants discuses article 3 of the Medicine Creek Treaty, securing Tribes’ right to gather food on their traditional lands, and the legal cases that followed when the article was not honored by the U.S. government. What came to be known as the Fish Wars, or Second Treaty War, ensued as Tribes fought for their rights.

Panelists include:

·        Amber Taylor, Assistant Director/Collections Manager, Puyallup Tribe

·        Brandon Reynon, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Puyallup Tribe

·        Nettsie Bullchild, Director of Nisqually Tribal Archives/Nisqually Tribal Historic Preservation Office

·        Warren KingGeorge, Historian, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe

Learn more at our tribal partners websites and fortnisqually.org

Resources:

• Boldt Decision Litigation Background Files, ca. 1968-1978: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4644600 
• Boldt Decision: United States v. State of Washington: https://www.historylink.org/file/21084 
• Supreme Court in U.S. v. Winans hands down first Native American fishing rights case in 1905: https://historylink.org/File/2595 
• U.S. Supreme Court in Tulee x. Washington upholds some Native American treaty fishing rights on March 30, 1942: https://historylink.org/File/2595 
• State Supreme Court issues a narrow ruling regarding treaty fishing rights in State of Washington c Satiacum on July 1, 1957: https://historylink.org/File/2650 
• Native Americans and supporters stage fish-in to protest denial of treaty rights on March 2, 1964: https://historylink.org/File/5332 
• The Fish-in Protests at Franks Landing: https://depts.washington.edu/civilr/fish-ins.htm 
• The Boldt Decision Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flgw9p7XRbU 
• The Fish Wars online lessons by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/pnw-fish-wars/index.cshtml#title 
• Backlash to Bolt online lesson by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/pnw-fish-wars/backlash 
• University of Washington resources for United States v Washington (Boldt Decision): https://lib.law.uw.edu/indian-tribal/boldt