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der=0 cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 width=100%> Salmon spark sales
MAY 5, 2000

Record numbers of chinook salmon in the Columbia River have sparked the first sale of the spring run since 1977. Among the tribes to sell are the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation.

The sale will last until May 28. A panel of state, federal, and tribal approved the commercial season.

The spring chinook are the first to return to the river and hold significant religious and cultural importance to the tribes. Tribal members have long caught the fish for ceremonial purposes, although low runs have made it difficult in the past.

Along with the Yakama, Warm Springs, and Nez Perce tribes, the Umatilla secured the right to fish in a set of treaties with the US government signed in 1855.

Get the Story:
Chinook run sparks return of tribal sales (The Spokesman Review 5/5)

Relevant Links:
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation: www.umatilla.nsn.us
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission - Representing the Yakama, Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Nez Perce
Treaties with the Four Tribes by the CRITFC.