Kamiakun Fishing

06/12/2026

from article at: https://editions.lib.umn.edu/openrivers/article/c-ing-the-river/

06/12/2026

06/11/2026

F&W Committee authorizes weekly openings on the Icicle River 5am Thursdays to 9pm Saturdays; effective June 11-July 25, 2026. Downloadable regs can be found on the Harvest Updates page at:
https://yakamafish-nsn.gov/news/weekly-openings-icicle-river

06/11/2026

Three (3) Summer Commercial Gillnet openings are scheduled for: 6am June 16 to 6pm June 19
6am June 22 to 6pm June 24
6am June 29 to July 1, 2026
7 inch mesh restriction
Downloadable regs can be found on the Harvest Updates page at:
https://yakamafish-nsn.gov/news/2026-summer-commercial-gillnet-openings

06/09/2026

Here is a shot of Colville Tribal anglers fishing the Icicle River below the hatchery. They started fishing last Friday, and the Yakima Tribe began the following day. The Icicle did not open to recreational fishing this season.

06/08/2026

06/08/2026

The chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is raising concerns following the recent “white liquor” chemical spill that reached the Columbia River after a tank failure at a paper mill in Longview, Washington. The spill released a highly caustic industrial chemical used in paper production, prompting environmental monitoring and cleanup efforts.

For the tribes of the Columbia Basin, the river is more than a waterway. It is a source of food, culture, treaty-protected fishing rights, and spiritual connection. The Warm Springs, Yakama, Umatilla, and Nez Perce tribes have long relied on the Columbia River and its salmon runs for their way of life.

While officials say monitoring has not detected ongoing contamination reaching the river, tribal leaders are calling for accountability and vigilance as cleanup efforts continue.

For many Native communities, protecting the Columbia isn’t just an environmental issue.

It’s a responsibility to future generations.

What role should tribes have in responding to environmental threats affecting culturally significant waterways?

05/23/2026

🐟 In 1974, a federal judge named George Boldt issued a ruling that shook the Pacific Northwest. He ruled that Washington tribes are entitled to half of the salmon harvest. The decision was based on 19th century treaties signed when tribes gave up millions of acres of land in exchange for the right to continue fishing "in common with" white settlers. Boldt interpreted "in common with" to mean equal share. Fifty percent. Not less. Not a token. Half.

⚖️ The ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1979. Non Native fishermen were furious. They harassed tribal fishermen. They cut their nets. They burned their boats. Some were killed. The state refused to enforce the ruling. The federal government had to send in the Coast Guard. Tribes had to fight for every fish, every season, for years. The treaties promised the right to fish. The courts affirmed it. The violence tried to deny it.

💔 The Boldt Decision is now considered a landmark in Indian law. It affirmed that treaties are not historical documents. They are living laws. They cannot be ignored just because they are old. The decision also paved the way for tribal co management of fisheries, habitat restoration, and water rights. The salmon are still in danger. The tribes are still fighting. But the legal framework is now on their side.

🕊️ Every time a tribal fisherman pulls a net from the water, they are exercising a right that was paid for with land, blood, and centuries of broken promises. The Boldt Decision did not give them that right. It just recognized it. The right was always there. The treaties never expired. The fish are still swimming. The tribes are still fishing. 💎🐟⚖️
[Disclaimer: This image is recreated for illustrative purposes only.]