Mountain caribou status revised to threatened

 

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS

Associated Press May 7, 2014

Image Source: Conservation Northwest
Image Source: Conservation Northwest

SPOKANE, Wash. — The federal government on Wednesday downgraded the protected status of the last remaining herd of mountain caribou in the Lower 48 states from endangered to threatened. Environmental groups hailed the decision as good for the animals.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the change in response to petitions from Idaho’s Bonner County, a snowmobile group and a pro-business law firm that had sought the removal of all protections from the herd in northern Idaho.

The herd is thought to number fewer than 30 animals but interacts with a much-larger herd on the Canadian side of the Selkirk Mountains.

The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group seeking to protect the herd, said the decision means the animals will continue to get the protection they need.

“We’re just glad they stayed protected,” said Noah Greenwald of the center. “As far as the protections a species gets, the difference between endangered and threatened is not substantial.”

The decision came in response to a petition from the Pacific Legal Foundation, Bonner County and the Idaho State Snowmobile Association, which said the herd in the U.S. was too small a subset of animals to warrant listing.

“We think it is a partial victory,” said Jonathan Wood, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation in Sacramento, California.

The downgrade in status may lift some of the most severe restrictions on activities in caribou habitat, Wood said.

“The severe burden on property owners and Bonner County and people interested in recreation may get greater flexibility,” he said.

Woodland caribou once ranged across much of the nation’s northern tier. However, the animals disappeared 100 years ago from all but a small and remote area of the Idaho Panhandle and northeastern Washington.

The population has been protected since 1983 under the Endangered Species Act.

“Scientists from both sides of the border have determined southern mountain caribou are significant and need protection to survive,” said Jason Rylander, attorney for Defenders of Wildlife. “We should not allow these unique animals to go extinct in the United States.”

All caribou are the same species, but mountain caribou have adapted to harsh winters with deep snow by developing dinner-plate sized hooves that work like snowshoes. They eat only arboreal lichens during the winter months.

The Pacific Legal Foundation argued that caribou should not be protected because there are plenty in Canada. But environmentalists countered that the Endangered Species Act specifically allows protection of distinct populations.

“The woodland caribou is Idaho’s most endangered animal. It is important that they remain protected and we get down to the real work of recovery before they go extinct,” said Brad Smith of the Idaho Conservation League.

Conservation groups have sued for the establishment of protected critical habitat and to close a large area of the Selkirks to snowmobiles, which pose a threat to the animals.

The Fish and Wildlife Service originally set aside more than 375,000 acres of critical habitat, but pro-business groups complained that would decimate the economy of the area. The habitat was eventually reduced to about 30,000 acres, a decision that remains in litigation.

Study Finds No Evidence Of ‘Ocean-Borne’ Fukushima Radiation Along West Coast

 

A graduate student in the marine biology program at Cal State Long Beach collects kelp in the waters off of Long Beach during Kelp Watch 2014’s initial collection of samples. (Photo credit: David J. Nelson/Cal State Long Beach)
A graduate student in the marine biology program at Cal State Long Beach collects kelp in the waters off of Long Beach during Kelp Watch 2014’s initial collection of samples. (Photo credit: David J. Nelson/Cal State Long Beach)

May 7, 2014

Tom Reopelle CBS Los Angeles

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — The West Coast shoreline shows no signs of ocean-borne radiation from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, scientists said Wednesday.

KNX 1070′s Tom Reopelle reports researchers from CSU Long Beach and other schools are sampling kelp along the California coastline to determine whether seawater arriving from Japan poses any public health threat.

The Kelp Watch 2014 project – which is co-headed by Dr. Steven Manley, marine biology professor at Long Beach State – has gathered kelp samples from as far north as Kodiak Island, Alaska, to as far south as Baja California to determine the extent of possible radiation contamination from the Fukushima disaster in March 2011.

During the first phase of the project, samples were primarily collected from Feb. 24 through March 14 at 38 of the 44 sites originally identified by researchers for testing of cesium-137 and -134 isotopes, according to researchers.

“So far, it appears that, based on our analysis of kelp, that none of the Fukushima radiation has arrived via the ocean current to our shoreline,” Manley said.

Two sites in the tropics – Hawaii and Guam, where non-kelp brown algae were sampled — were also negative for Fukushima radiation, according to researchers.

Manley noted that the project also has giant kelp from off the coast of Chile in South America that serves as a reference site, far removed from any potential influence from Fukushima.

The study somewhat contradicted earlier findings from a 2012 Long Beach State study that found low levels of radioactive isotopes in seaweed found along the southern Pacific Coast.

While the project’s participants are primarily from academia who have agreed to work pro bono, donors with the USC-Sea Grant and California State University Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST) have agreed to contribute funds to the project, researchers said.

The second of the three 2014 sampling periods is scheduled to begin in early July.

Services Planned for Billy Frank Jr.

Funeral services for Billy Frank Jr. will be held 10 a.m. Sunday, May 11 in the Squaxin Island Tribe’s event center at the Little Creek Casino Resort, 91 W State Route 108, Shelton.

He will be interred at the Chief Leschi Cemetery, 2249 Reservation Road, just north of the ballfields. A dinner will follow at the Squaxin Tribe’s event center.

A public viewing will be held on Saturday, May 10 from noon to 5 p.m. at Mills and Mills Funeral Home, 5725 Littlerock Road SW, Tumwater.

Donations are being accepted by the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission for the Billy Frank Services Fund. Send donations to the NWIFC, 6730 Martin Way E., Olympia, Wash. 98516.

Donations can also be made to the Billy Frank Jr. Salmon Forever Fund in care of Salmon Defense, PO Box 7431, Olympia, Wash.

An online memorial to the life and legacy of Billy Frank Jr. is available at billyfrankjr.org

Photo: Facebook
Photo: Facebook


The value of saving a life: Proposed law to grant temporary immunity to save lives

By Andrew Gobin, Tulalip News

TULALIP – A proposed new law on the Tulalip Indian Reservation raises the question of the value of life, and in turn the value of saving a life. Called the Lois Luella Jones Law after a victim of overdose, the law would encourage people to seek help from 911 emergency services through temporary immunity, which removes the fear of arrest and or conviction. The intent is to cut down on the number of preventable deaths in the community. There are two drafts of the proposed law with distinct differences, though in each the goal is the same, to encourage people to report emergencies without the fear of self-incrimination.

Rico Jones-Fernandez, who proposed the law for Tulalip, is the son of Lois Luella Jones, for whom the law is so named. He is a strong proponent of 911 Good Samaritan Laws in communities that battle drug addiction.

“This isn’t a law enforcement issue, it’s about saving lives,” he said.

Jones-Fernandez’s draft of the proposed law states that persons seeking medical assistance for a person experiencing an overdose or other life threatening emergent situation are to be granted immunity from arrest and prosecution for minor offenses. In his draft, minor offenses are defined as contributing to the delinquency of an underage person, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and minor in possession. Immunity extends beyond crimes listed to warrants for misdemeanors and nonviolent crimes as well.

“It’s not condoning the crimes and behaviors, it’s saying that a life is more important than a drug charge,” said Jones-Fernandez.

Jones-Fernandez’s draft, as written, has raised question and concern for public safety. Tulalip Prosecutor, Dave Wall, along with reservation attorney, Anthony Jones, also drafted a law that keeps the intent of the law in-tact, while taking into account public safety as a continuing priority. The main difference between the two drafts is the definition of immunity. Jones-Fernandez’s draft explicitly states that the immunity prevents arrest and conviction for crimes listed, whereas the draft written by tribal attorneys reserves the power to arrest yet still extends immunity to convictions for the crimes listed.

Wall said, “The police have a responsibility to public safety, and to keep the peace. They need to retain the power to make arrests.

“Stopping an arrest,” he continued, “that is very hard. Stopping charges or a conviction is much easier. We aren’t rushed to make a decisions like with an arrest. We have time to contemplate circumstances and weigh decisions.”

In addition to concerns surrounding a law enforcement officer’s ability to make arrests, there is a concern regarding warrants. If people are repeat offenders, or have multiple warrants, should those people be eligible for immunity? With regards to misdemeanor warrants and non-violent crime warrants, what defines non-violent crime? Burglary is not a violent crime, yet it is a felony. Should warrants for burglary be overlooked under this law? These are questions the Tulalip Tribal Council will need to answer as they review the two drafts of the proposed law.

“Yes, saving a life is important, but what about the home owner whose property was burglarized. What happens when he learns the police were in extended contact with the burglar, and did nothing, just let him go? What are his rights to justice?” Wall added.

Regardless of the legal and public safety concerns, there is the question of how effective a 911 Good Samaritan Law would be at Tulalip.

“We have nothing to lose. If it is implemented and it is effective, we would be saving that many more lives,” said Jones Fernandez.

Even though both drafts include the provision for immunity from conviction for crimes listed, Jones-Fernandez fears that the tribes’ draft is not protective enough for people seeking medical assistance for overdose victims.

“If it does not protect the caller enough, then the law won’t be effective,” he explained.

Other areas of ambiguity in each draft deal with the terms of immunity, specifically who is eligible for immunity and how long it lasts. If there are ten people at the scene of an incident, but only three were seeking assistance, are all ten granted immunity? It is yet to be clearly defined, though the language of each draft suggests no. The way each draft is worded, immunity is only applicable to those actively seeking medical assistance, or is assisting in some manner. So at a house party, for example, you could not claim to have been unseen in another part of the house and be eligible for immunity. That being said, each draft also puts the burden of discrediting immunity on the prosecution, meaning if someone claims immunity under this law, if it were to pass, the court would have to discredit them, proving beyond a reasonable doubt that this law is not applicable to them.

There is also the question of immunity for people who call repeatedly. As written, neither draft limits how many times you can be granted immunity.

Phino Fernandez, Jones-Fernandez’s brother and fellow supporter of the Lois Luella Jones Law, said, “It can be as repetitious as it needs to be. What makes the 25th life any less important or significant than the first? Why shouldn’t the same value of saving a life apply equally to both?”

It comes back to saving lives. That doesn’t mean people get a free pass, only that the focus has shifted.

“In an emergent situation, we want anyone to feel safe enough to call for assistance to save a life. In terms of the war on drugs, when someone is overdosing, the war has been lost. The battle for that person’s life is now the focus. We can sort out the rest later,” explained Wall.

Both drafts of the law address what happens after the fact. If new crimes and circumstances arise out of the emergent situation, immunity is no longer applicable, and the proposed law would no longer be able to suppress evidence in those cases. That means the temporary immunity ceases after the overdose or emergent situation has concluded, preventing larger crimes that arise from overdose situations to go unchecked.

Wall captured the struggle to balance public safety and the value of saving lives quite eloquently in these few words, “I want us as a community, the tribal court and police included, for the overriding factor of saving lives.”

The law has immense support from the community and from tribal leaders. Aside from concerns to public safety, both drafts of the law express that the value of saving lives is paramount to healing our community, and, for offenders, the value of saving a life is a second chance.

On Thursday, May 22, at 5:30 p.m. at the Tulalip administration building, the CEDAR group will be hosting a community forum on this law. The law is set to be presented to the Tulalip Tribal Council for approval in June.

 

Andrew Gobin: 360-631-7075; agobin@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Report: Climate Change Likely To Reduce Hydropower In The Northwest

A new climate report projects reductions in hydropower of up to 20 percent by 2080. | credit: Sam Beebe Ecotrust/Flickr
A new climate report projects reductions in hydropower of up to 20 percent by 2080. | credit: Sam Beebe Ecotrust/Flickr

 

By Cassandra Profita, OPB

A national report released Tuesday says climate change will make it increasingly difficult for the Northwest to generate hydropower and protect salmon at the same time.

The Northwest gets 75 percent of its electricity from dams. As climate change reduces summer stream flows, the Northwest Climate Assessment report says the result will likely be less hydropower production from those dams – with reductions of up to 20 percent by 2080.

The reductions would be necessary to preserve stream flows for threatened and endangered fish, according to Amy Snover, director of the Climate Impacts Group and co-lead author of the Northwest report. Snover says with climate change leaving less water in rivers during the summer, what’s left will have to be divided between storage for hydropower and flows for fish.

“It will be increasingly difficult to meet the two goals of producing summer and fall hydropower and maintaining sufficient flows in the river for protected and endangered fish,” she said. “You can reduce some of the negative impacts on hydropower production but you can’t do that and maintain the fish flows.”

Snover says her report’s projections are based on the way the Northwest operates hydroelectric dams right now. But that could change. Regional power managers say climate change is leading them to reconsider how they will operate dams in the future.

John Fazio, an analyst with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, says climate change is going to shift demand for electricity in the region, too.

Winters will be warmer, so people will need less power than before at a time of year when there’s lots of water in the rivers. And as summers get hotter, there will be more need for power to cool people off at a time of year when there’s less water available to generate hydropower.

Fazio has been thinking about the best way to manage the hydro system under these climate change scenarios. He’s suggested using other sources of power in the winter to make sure the system’s reservoirs are full of water by summertime.

“My suggestion would be during the summer we could pull more water from reservoirs to make up for decrease in summer flows and then going into the winter, use generation from other sources to meet our (power) loads and let the reservoirs refill,” he said.

Fazio’s ideas are outlined the council’s latest 20-year plan for meeting the region’s demand for power.

“It would call for a change in the whole approach to how we operate the hydro system,” Fazio said. “So far it hasn’t gotten any traction anywhere. It’s a complicated issue, but we’re trying to tackle it.”

Bonneville Power Administration, which manages 31 dams in the Columbia River Basin and distributes most of the electricity in the Northwest, has been pondering the issue of climate change as well. It’s developed a road map for adapting to climate change and launched pilot projects to model the effects of climate change on stream flows in the Columbia River Basin.

Arts & Tech students start gardens

Marysville Arts & Technology High School senior Nikki Cooley and sophomore Emalee Alaniz plant seeds in one of the school’s 16 garden beds on April 30.— image credit: Kirk Boxleitner
Marysville Arts & Technology High School senior Nikki Cooley and sophomore Emalee Alaniz plant seeds in one of the school’s 16 garden beds on April 30.
— image credit: Kirk Boxleitner

By Kirk Boxleitner, Marysville Globe

TULALIP — The unloading of a truck full of compost at the Marysville Arts & Technology High School on Wednesday, April 30, represented the culmination of a six-year dream for Arts & Tech math teacher Karen McCaffrey, and a unique opportunity for Arts & Tech students get dirty while growing their own food.

“Last year, we finally started a club devoted to growing local food,” McCaffrey said. “Not only is the process of gardening a valuable experience, but it teaches these kids how essential these foods are to their health and well-being.”

The Arts & Tech gardens benefitted from the fourth annual Compost Days campaign — jointly coordinated by Cedar Grove, Waste Management, King County and Seattle Public Utilities — which conducted its Big Garden Give, the region’s first compost drive, providing free compost to 120 gardens that grow food for low-income communities in Snohomish and King counties.

John Inge, marketing director for Cedar Grove, stopped by the school that Wednesday with Zsolt Pasztor, production manager of Farmer Frog, to watch the final truckload of compost get dumped next to the Arts & Tech gardens.

“Throughout Snohomish County, we’ve contributed 500 yards of compost to as many as 20 community gardens,” Inge said. “Yesterday, we dropped off about 10 yards, and today, we’re adding about 15 yards to the Arts & Tech school gardens. As much as we talk about the compost loop, it’s incredible to witness personally how the food and yard waste that we receive is now being used to grow fresh food, rather than going into landfills.”

Inge credited Washington State University with helping to connect Cedar Grove,  and the other members of the Compost Days campaign, to community organizations, as well as assisting in coordinating their efforts.

“They’ve been invaluable in linking us to deserving recipients,” Inge said. “This way, we can provide support to gardens that serve all segments of the community.”

As the Arts & Tech students shoveled compost into wheelbarrows and poured it into the eight-foot by four-foot garden beds behind the school building, Pasztor explained the process that Farmer Frog facilitated beforehand.

“It started with the ground being covered with burlap, so that no light would reach the ground,” Pasztor said. “Wood chips were then laid down over the burlap, about four to six inches deep. We have a source of burlap and a connection with loggers to get the wood chips, which amounted to about 10 yards, covering a 20-foot by 30-foot area.”

From there, 16 garden beds were built over the wood chips, with pressure-treated lumber, of which eight were filled with the 10 yards of compost from Cedar Grove on Tuesday, April 29.

“We received 15 yards of compost today, which would probably fill 12 garden beds, but it’s better to have too much than not enough,” Pasztor said on April 30. “We also provided eight  10-gallon buckets with compost and strawberry plants. There’s a growing distance between people’s food and how it’s made, so we want to bring people closer to that food-making, so that they don’t just think of food as coming from Safeway or Albertsons.”

Pasztor also anticipates that Arts & Tech students will be able to apply their lessons in biology in a hands-on fashion in their gardens, perhaps even by doing experiments to see which factors cause plants to grow better.

The Arts & Tech students who volunteered to work the dirt and plant seeds on April 30 agree that they’re seeking closer connections, not only to the source of their food, but also to the community around them.

“I just like growing things,” said sophomore Emalee Alaniz, as she watered one of the garden beds. “It’s nice when you can grow your food more naturally.”

“I like that everyone here has come together as a team to make this happen,” said senior Nikki Cooley, who joined Alaniz in planting seeds in the compost. “I don’t usually get to work with all of these people, so I’m getting to know new people while I’m gardening, which is something I’m already experienced at. When you go to the store, you have to worry whether their fruits and vegetables have been treated with chemicals, but our fruits and vegetables will not only be locally grown, but they’ll be fresh, healthy and delicious.”

“It’s a healthier alternative,” agreed fellow senior Damon Diel Jr. “It also helps save money for the school.”

McCaffrey explained that the food grown in the Arts & Tech gardens would be prioritized, first to go to the students who helped grow it, then to go to community members in need who would be invited to take part in gardening there, with any remaining or leftover food likely going to community groups such as the Marysville Community Food Bank.

“This garden will be a source of ongoing joy for generations to come,” Marysville Arts and Technology High School Principal Terri Kaltenbach said.

The annual Compost Days campaign is a thank-you to area residents for diverting 350,000 tons of food, food soiled-paper and yard debris from landfills. From March 15 through April 15, residents received deep discounts on compost, and donated 30,200 bags of compost in turn, to help grow food in 120 gardens that feed communities.

“Making locally produced compost available to community gardens is an important first step in providing nutritious food for those that need it the most,” said Candy Castellanos, public education outreach manager for Waste Management. “Using compost is the most sustainable, environmentally supportive and efficient way to garden, and we are proud to play a role in growing gardens locally.”

For more information, visit www.compostdays.com.

Yakama Tribal Court to hear case over state’s elk management

 

May 7, 2014

By Kate Prengaman / Yakima Herald-Republic
kprengaman@yakimaherald.com

YAKIMA, Wash. — The Yakama Nation Tribal Court ruled it has jurisdiction in an unprecedented lawsuit that maintains that the state has responsibility to manage an elk herd to prevent damage to a sacred burial site.

Chief Judge Ted Strong found in favor of the tribal member who brought the civil suit against the state Department of Fish and Wildlife when he ruled Friday that the Tribal Court has the authority to hear the case. He ordered the parties to discuss settlement options before continuing with hearings.

Attorneys for the state had asked the court to throw out the lawsuit, saying it lacked authority over Wildlife Department officials named in the suit because they are not tribal members and because the burial site is not on the reservation.

In the case of the burial sites, the judge found that the court’s jurisdiction should not be limited to the reservation.

The case was brought under a 1989 state law allowing tribal members to seek damages in civil court against those who have knowingly damaged Indian burial sites. The law allows cases to be brought in Superior or Tribal Court, but this is the first time a case has been heard in Tribal Court.

It’s a test case for the authority of the Tribal Court, said Jack Fiander, the attorney representing Shay-Ya-Boon-Il-Pilpsh, who brought the case. Fiander said he hopes this case can demonstrate the fair, professional process of the Tribal Court.

Typically, tribal courts only have jurisdiction over cases involving tribal members and tribal lands.

“The Yakama Tribal Member who seeks preservation of the ancient burial grounds has no less right to be heard by this court simply because the remains of his fellow Yakama lies buried in the grave some miles distant from the Yakama Reservation Boundary,” Judge Strong wrote in the order granting the jurisdiction.

The tribal court is “uniquely competent” to hear concerns about the desecration of burial sites, he wrote.

Plaintiff Shay-Ya-Boon-Il-Pilpsh, who is also known as Ricky Watlamet, is charged in Kittitas County Superior Court with felony unlawful hunting after allegedly shooting several of the elk on the Kittitas County property where the burial site is located.

He was invited by the nontribal landowner who was frustrated with the Wildlife Department’s response to her complaints about damage by the elk, which were also eating grasses intended for cattle.

But under state law, tribal members’ treaty hunting rights that allow them to hunt outside of the state-set seasons don’t apply on private land.

Fiander is also representing his client in the criminal case, but he said that he’s encouraged by the Tribal Court’s decision to hear this civil case.

“I think everybody’s pleased about the decision, but we see it as chapter three of about seven,” Fiander said.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that in less than a month as the snow melts that the elk will start leaving the property and hopefully, a settlement can be reached for next year.”

In other areas with elk problems, Fiander said management strategies have included temporary fencing or issuing more hunting permits to keep the herd smaller.

A spokeswoman for the state Attorney General’s Office, which represents the Wildlife Department, said in an email that it is “reviewing the decision with our clients and considering our course of action.”

The next hearing is set for June 19, after the parties meet to discuss settlement options.

Once the Tribal Court has reached a conclusion in the case, the decision can be subject to a federal court review to ensure the process was fair, Fiander said.

But, he said he would not be surprised if the state’s attorneys planned to appeal.

“My sense is that ultimately it will end up in federal court,” Fiander said.

Billy Frank Jr., the foremost champion for Treaty Indian fishing, dies at 83

Nisqually elder Billy Frank Jr., a lifelong fisherman who led the battle for Treaty Indian fishing, speaks to an audience of tribal leaders past and present, activists, but most of all friends, remembering the Boldt Decision with stories. Photos of “The Old Swede,” as Billy called Judge Boldt, hung as a backdrop in memory of his momentous decision.
Nisqually elder Billy Frank Jr., a lifelong fisherman who led the battle for Treaty Indian fishing, speaks to an audience of tribal leaders past and present, activists, but most of all friends, remembering the Boldt Decision with stories this last February. Photos of “The Old Swede,” as Billy called Judge Boldt, hung as a backdrop in memory of his momentous decision. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip News

By Andrew Gobin, Tulalip News

In the early hours of May 5, after a lifetime dedicated to protecting treaty rights of northwest tribes, Billy Frank of Nisqually dies at age 83. He is known for championing the battle for Treaty Indian fishing in the 1960s and 1970s, which culminated with the momentous Boldt Decision. He remained ceaseless in his work as chairman at the Northwest Indian Fish Commission (NWIFC) to protect and preserve the salmon resource in all aspects, continuing his work until his final day. The nation mourns the loss of a great man.

In a White House press release, President Barack Obama said this, “I was saddened to learn of the passing of Billy Frank Jr. Today, thanks to his courage and determined effort, our resources are better protected, and more tribes are able to enjoy the rights preserved for them more than a century ago.  His passion on the issue of climate change should serve as an inspiration to us all.  I extend my deepest sympathies to the Nisqually Indian Tribe, and to Billy’s family, and to his many friends who so greatly admired him.”

Tulalip Tribal Chairman Herman Williams Sr. said, “He’s always been that symbol of our relationship with the state and federal government. He’s the one out in front, leading the fight.”

As serious and determined as he was, Billy was exceedingly humble. He was a man of the people. Wherever he went, he seemed to know everyone, and was always thrilled to see his friends and relatives. He spoke frankly, and was never afraid to speak his mind and say what he knew to be right.

Terry Williams, who worked closely with Frank through the Tulalip Natural Resources Department, said, “Billy had a saying I just loved. He’d say, ‘You have got to tell the truth and recognize the truth.’ That’s what we have faced all our lives.”

Billy Frank spoke from the heart with passion and tenacity. He was revered for his words and what they accomplished.

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, who sits on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, told the Everett Herald, “Billy Frank was a legend among men. Today, America lost a civil rights leader whose impact will be felt for generations to come.”

His death comes in the middle of a crucial discussion in Washington State that will change the way salmon are protected. The Fish Consumption Rate and the pollution rate are issues to be decided this year. If he were here, his words would be to stay the course. The battle doesn’t stop with the rights, it continues for the survival of the resource.

February 12 of this year marked 40 years since the Boldt Decision. At a celebration at the Squaxin Island resort remembering the battle for Treaty Indian fishing, Frank highlighted how the future of tribes is intertwined with the future of the environment. He said, “We have to protect the salmon. Look at California. The tribes there have the first water right, but there is no water. We have a right to the salmon, but if there are none, what kind of right we got?”

Tulalip Chairman Williams agrees that the fight must continue, but people have to pick up where the old leaders have left off.

“Where will the next Billy Frank rise from?” he said.

 

Andrew Gobin is a reporter with the See-Yaht-Sub, a publication of the Tulalip Tribes Communications Department.
Email: agobin@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
Phone: (360) 716.4188

Navajo Families Live With Electricity For First Time

Margie Tso and her husband, Alvin, at their family ranch.Credit George Hardeen
Margie Tso and her husband, Alvin, at their family ranch.
Credit George Hardeen

 

By Aaron Granillo, KNAU

 

Turning on the lights or opening the fridge are things many of us take for granted. But if you’ve never had electricity, they might seem like luxuries. Now, for dozens of families on the Navajo Nation, those luxuries are becoming a reality. As Arizona Public Radio’s Aaron Granillo reports, more than 60 families will soon have electricity for the first time in their lives.

Margie Tso has a beautiful view from her family ranch on the Navajo Nation, just southeast of Page.

“I have been living out here since 1952,” said Tso.

The view from the Tso’s ranch of LeChee Rock, a sacred mountain to the Navajo people.
Credit Aaron Granillo

 

From her front yard, you can see miles and miles of red and orange sandstone. And LeChee Rock, a sacred mountain to the Navajo people. But from the backyard, there’s a clear view of the Navajo Generating Station, which has been supplying electricity all over the southwest since 1976. But not to Tso’s house.

“At times we kind of grumbled about it, but what could we do? I was brought up in the same matter that I learned to deal with,” said Tso. “Building a fire out of wood, using the charcoal for everything. Making bread, cooking meat, making stew, and such and such.”

But all of that has changed because of a nearly $5 million joint project that’s bringing electricity to certain areas of the Navajo Nation, including Tso’s ranch.

“It’s sort of a miracle for people to live like that,” said Tso. “Flip on a light. Get your remote. Your pleasure’s right there before you.”

Smoke stacks at the Navajo Generating Station can be seen from the Tso’s ranch.
Credit Aaron Granillo

 

Although the Navajo Generating Station has been producing electricity for decades, it’s not legally allowed to provide power to the Navajo Nation. That ownership and sovereignty belongs to the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. But according to officials, they’ve never had enough money to build power poles in remote parts of the reservation. That is until now.

“The Navajo Generating Station and SRP donated about $2 million. NTUA donated some,” said Paul Begay, a business information technician with NGS.

Additional funding came from the Navajo Nation Abandoned Mine Lands program and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. By 2015, the project will bring electricity to 63 families.

“The first thing people mention is refrigerator. ‘Oh good, I’m not going to buy any more ice,'” Begay said.

Using ice to keep food fresh is what Pearl Begay did for decades. She lives just up the road from Tso’s ranch. Pearl only speaks native Navajo, so her daughter, Daisy, translates.

“She said she like her electric. The lights mostly, and her refrigerator.” said Daisy.

According to Daisy and Pearl, they should have had power a long time ago. They claim they were promised electricity nearly 40 years ago, while the Navajo Generating Station was being built.

“They built the plant right there, and they forget them,” said Daisy.

Their neighbor, Margie Tso, feels the same way.

“They started giving us hope, giving us hope,” said Tso. “And then they say, ‘It’s going to cost too much.’ And so then I just lost hope. I thought, ‘Well, whatever. I guess I won’t have electricity at the ranch.’”

But now that she does, life has become much easier.

“(It will) be quicker to do things than trying to hook up this and that, or run out of gas and run to town to get more gas,” said Tso. “A miracle happened that it came through.”