Trojan Wars

Oregon Public Broadcasting

The scramble to meet the energy demands of AI and data centers is leading to what some are calling a Nuclear Renaissance, and the Pacific Northwest is at the heart of it. Oregon and Washington are the sites of the world’s first full-scale nuclear power plant (Hanford), the world’s then largest pressurized-water nuclear reactor (Trojan Nuclear Power Plant), and the only company with regulatory approval to build small modular reactors (NuScale) — and yet Oregon has a constitutional amendment banning new nuclear projects. Why? It all comes back to the state’s history with nuclear, and the legacy of the environmental movement in the Northwest. "Trojan Wars" from OPB and 30 Minutes West tell the story of how our grand plans for cheap, reliable, carbon-free power ended up in a heap of concrete on the banks of the Columbia River.  In this series we ask: What went wrong the first time around? And is it even possible to get it right?    

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  1. Episode 1

    Ep 1: The Family

    Host Tony Schick introduces us to Randy Settler and his family. The Settlers, members of the Yakama Nation, have been deeply affected by the Northwest’s salmon policies for generations. They lost their home, their primary food source, their ancestral fishing grounds. Randy and his parents went to jail for exercising their fishing rights. And they won some important victories along the way. Now, he’s passing the fight on to younger people in the tribe.

  2. Episode 2

    Ep 2: The Treaties

    To understand the war over salmon, we have to go back to 1855. That’s when chiefs from the Yakama Nation and other Pacific Northwest tribes signed treaties that are still used as the basis for laws and policies around salmon fishing. Some tribal members believe the Yakama signed a treaty under duress. In some ways, this document represents the first of a multi-generational series of promises the U.S. government made and broke. It also created a powerful legal framework the Yakama still use to advocate for fishing rights.

  3. Episode 3

    Ep 3: The Court Battles

    Federal officials took away a way of life that had sustained Pacific Northwest tribes for centuries. So some tribal members became outlaws. During the 1960s and beyond, Native activists fought back against state and federal restrictions on their fishing rights – a period known as the “fish wars”. They held “fish ins” and fought for their rights in court. Randy Settler's parents won some major battles in the fish wars, but their methods were controversial even within their tribe.

  4. Episode 4

    Ep 4: The Salmon’s Struggle

    Salmon used to be plentiful and they’ve been a staple of tribal diets for centuries. Since the early 1900s, salmon populations in the Columbia River have steadily declined thanks to overfishing, dams, habitat loss and warming waters. Hatcheries are one way the U.S. government has tried to make up for the loss of wild salmon. But it hasn’t worked. In this episode, we examine what the decline of salmon has meant for Columbia River tribes.

  5. Episode 5

    Ep 5: The Crime

    Salmon have been on the decline for more than 100 years. The federal government knows why. It knows who killed the salmon. And how. But for decades it’s been telling a tale of progress, and obscuring the ugliest truth. We’re going to uncover it.

  6. Episode 6

    Ep 6: The Future

    Salmon hatcheries set up by the federal government prioritized ocean fishermen over river tribes and created genetically inferior fish. In this final episode, we visit a tribal hatchery to see how they’re doing things differently. And we’ll hear from 11-year-old Aiyana about how she thinks about carrying on her family’s legacy.

  7. Season 2 Trailer

    Season 2: Salmon Wars ... coming soon

    “Salmon Wars” tells the story of salmon in the Northwest in a way you haven’t heard before – through the voices of one Yakama Nation family who have been fighting for salmon for generations. We dig in to uncover who is to blame for the salmon vanishing, what can be done before it’s too late and why their disappearance impacts all of us ... coming soon.

    Season 2: Salmon Wars ... coming soon

  8. 03/27/2024

    Bonus Episode: LiaDonna Lopez Whitefoot

    You heard from Randy Settler’s cousin, LiaDonna Lopez Whitefoot, in the most recent episode of Salmon Wars. She’s the one who was fearless in the face of a blockade of boats trying to block Native people from accessing fishing sites. She worked closely with Randy’s mom in the family fishing business. In this bonus episode, we’re bringing you more of her memories from that time, and of Randy’s mom, Mary, in particular.

See All Season 2 (8)

Trailers

Hosts & Guests

4.9
out of 5
989 Ratings

About

The scramble to meet the energy demands of AI and data centers is leading to what some are calling a Nuclear Renaissance, and the Pacific Northwest is at the heart of it. Oregon and Washington are the sites of the world’s first full-scale nuclear power plant (Hanford), the world’s then largest pressurized-water nuclear reactor (Trojan Nuclear Power Plant), and the only company with regulatory approval to build small modular reactors (NuScale) — and yet Oregon has a constitutional amendment banning new nuclear projects. Why? It all comes back to the state’s history with nuclear, and the legacy of the environmental movement in the Northwest. "Trojan Wars" from OPB and 30 Minutes West tell the story of how our grand plans for cheap, reliable, carbon-free power ended up in a heap of concrete on the banks of the Columbia River.  In this series we ask: What went wrong the first time around? And is it even possible to get it right?    

Information

  • Creator
    Oregon Public Broadcasting
  • Episodes
    26
  • Seasons
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Oregon Public Broadcasting
  • Show Website
    Trojan Wars

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