Sustainability Events
[PAST EVENT] Wilbur Slockish Jr.: Reflections on “Salmonscam” and his fight for tribal rights to clean water
Location
Martha Wren Briggs Amphitheatre at Lake Matoaka, In-person and on Zoom121 Ukrop Way
Williamsburg, VA 23185Map this location
Access & Features
- Open to the public
- Registration/RSVP
Wilbur Slockish Jr.: Reflections on “Salmonscam” and his lifelong fight to protect tribal rights to clean water and healthy lives
Wilbur Slockish Jr, the chief of the Klickitat Tribe and member of the Confederated Tribes and the Bands of the Yakama Nation, has dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of his people to clean water, health, and the natural resources on which their culture depends. In 1982, Slockish was arrested along with David Sohappy Sr. and three other Native men for “illegally” fishing and selling their catch from their home along the Columbia River, a case now known as “Salmonscam.” A story of courage in the face of injustice—and an example of conservation policy gone wrong—their trials gained international attention and became a symbol of the struggle to defend the treaty rights and human rights of Indigenous Peoples. Since his release from prison, Slockish has worked to ban the storage of nuclear waste on the Yakama Reservation and has served as a commissioner on the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, a consortium of treaty tribes dedicated to saving salmon and restoring their habitat in the Columbia Basin. Moderated by Professor Andy Fisher, this two-part event will include a screening of the River People: Behind the Case of David Sohappy film followed by a discussion with Wilbur Slockish Jr. reflecting on the legacy of "Salmonscam" and his lifelong commitment to protecting the treaty rights and water resources of the River People.
Oct 14, 2021
6:30-8:30 ET pm
Screening of River People: Behind the Case of David Sohappy followed by a moderated discussion with Wilbur Slockish Jr.
In-person at the Martha Wren Briggs Amphitheatre at Lake Matoaka and on Zoom
Contact
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