A YEAR TO REMEMBER
2022 was a monumental year for UCUT. After years of planning and effort, visions have become realities. This video highlights those projects and success stories and provides insight into the ongoing efforts of the 5 member tribes to restore the fish and wildlife along with the waters and habitats of the Upper Columbia.
Salmon Reintroduction – Phase 2
In 2019, members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation released salmon above Chief Joseph Dam and, a few days later, above Grand Coulee.
Fish Passage and Reintroduction Phase 1 Report
In May 2019, the UCUT completed Phase 1 of our phased approach to Fish Passage and Reintroduction into the U.S. and Canadian Upper Columbia Basin.
Kalispel Tribe of Indians – Northern Pike Suppression
The Kalispel Tribe and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have spent over a decade studying Northern Pike and fighting to suppress the source population. Pike eat a lot of fish and this will be catastrophic to salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River system.
Answering the Call: UCUT Canoes Arrive at Standing Rock
Several canoe families from the Upper Columbia United Tribes visited Standing Rock to show their support for protecting the water. The hope is that this story inspires people to protect waters both locally and globally.
Canoe Journey and Gathering at Kettle Falls
Canoes connected us to our Rivers of Life. In the spring of 2015, UCUT purchased old growth cedar logs, and our communities carved these logs into dugout canoes. On June 17, 2016, the five Upper Columbia tribes journeyed in these canoes to Kettle Falls, our ancient fishing spot on the Columbia River. After traveling for days, we gathered together in the land of our ancestors for the first time in over 80 years. This is our journey.
Coeur d’Alene Tribe Forest Carnivore Survey
Through millennia, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe survived using what nature provided. The tribe realized they are part of one life on earth with animals, birds, fish and plants. In the recent past, resources have declined or been lost from the tribe’s ancestral lands. Sacred animals like buffalo and caribou have disappeared. Forest carnivores like lynx, wolverines, fishers and martens face an unknown fate. These carnivores play an important part in the ecosystem. Find out about the tribe’s efforts to monitor and protect these animals.
Treaty Talks: Paddling up the Columbia River for People and Salmon
UCUT and other Tribes and First Nations are pleased to release Treaty Talks, a video intended to start public discussion about the feasibility of fish passage above Grand Coulee Dam. The video follows the salmons’ ancestral journey up the Columbia River and seeks to raise awareness about the damage to the Columbia River by industry, dams, and the Columbia River Treaty, which was ratified 50 years ago. We are working to ensure that ecosystem-based function and fish passage are recognized as vital to the future of the river.
Protecting Lake Coeur d’Alene
Since time immemorial, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe lived on the water, but they were forced onto a reservation. As mining took off in Silver Valley, land was taken from their reservation and the tribe was forcefully removed from the shores of the waters. The tribe became aware of pollutants in the water and ecosystem as a result of the mining. Watch how the tribe fought for their right to Coeur d’Alene Lake and to clean up the waters.
Selective Harvest
When Grand Coulee Dam was built, it destroyed the fisheries of Kettle Falls. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation moved to selective fishing to harvest fish. This allows them to keep the hatchery fish and release the native fish. Selective harvest also provides opportunities for individual tribal members who can’t fish for themselves.
Grand Coulee and the Forgotten Tribe
For thousands of years, the Spokane River was the lifeblood of the Spokane Tribe of Indians. When Grand Coulee Dam was completed in 1942, Lake Roosevelt was created, covering traditional fishing sites, burial grounds, and sacred cultural gathering places. There were no options for the people of the Spokane Tribe and no options for the salmon, which were blocked by the dam. For nearly 70 years, the Spokane Tribe of Indians has been negotiating with the federal government over the tribe’s losses due to Grand Coulee Dam.
The Friendliest Catch
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have lost fishing opportunities due to the construction of dams. In collaboration with BPA, the live capture project seeks to recover wild runs of salmon. Wild-origin fish are released, and the hatchery fish are harvested for tribal members. The project is teaching tribal members to fish again.
Drumheller Springs Park
Drumheller Spring is a tribal landmark of cultural significance. UCUT formally adopted the urban Spokane park in 2005. We have spent hours restoring the beautiful natural area for the benefit and use of all.
United for the Benefit of All
The UCUT provide one voice for our region to ensure a healthy future for the traditional territorial lands of our ancestors through a proactive and science-based approach to promoting Indian culture, fish, wildlife, and habitat. Together, the UCUT have worked hard to create a better environment for future generations.
