1987-08-11 Char-Koosta News

              VOLUME 16, NUMBER 13
MONTH OF THE HUCKLEBERRIES
AUGUST 11, 1987
Dam anniversary mournful for Pacific Northwest Indians
PORTLAND, OR — Indians and their supporters began a 50-hour vigil Aug. 6 in observance of the 50th anniversary of Bonneville Dam and the beginning of hydroelectric development on the Columbia River. "For 50 hours, the drum will beat — reminding us of the terrible losses endured by Indian people so that this region could have electricity," said vigil coordinator Roy Sampsel, an
Indian and a long-time advocate for Native Americans. Bonneville Dam, the first of more than a dozen hydroelectric dams on the Columbia system, and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the federal agency that markets the electricity, are 50 years old this year. Sampsel, who is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior and a former executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, said that Bonneville's 50th anniversary celebration and the publicity surrounding it have com-
pletely glossed over the costs involved in bringing electricity to the Northwest. "The costs have been greatest to the Indian people: Their salmon and steelhead runs — for thousands of years, the spiritual, social, and economic basis of life — were nearly destroyed. Most of their traditional fishing sites are gone — flooded by dams and the reservoirs behind them," he said.
In treaties with the United States, Columbia River tribes gave up most of (Concludes on page two)
N.W. Tribal leaders gather in Moscow
o
00 0)
fe 0)
Ho
fe
-, «
i
Indian tribal leaders from throughout the Northwest gathered at Moscow, Idaho's University Inn and Convention Center as the organization of Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATM), representing Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, hosted its annual convention August 2-5. The theme of this year's convention was "Effective Tribal Leadership".
In this modern day, Indian tribes continue a struggle of diligence to perpetuate Tribal sovereignty as guaranteed by the treaties and other agreements made with the United States. For over thirty years, ATNI has provided a forum for the Tribal govern-
mental leaders of the Northwest to collectively combine efforts to address issues of concern, discuss strategies, and develop plans of action.
Emphasis at this year's convention was an investigation of federal Indian policies and administrative processes maintained by the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Because of the various historical legislative acts, treaties and agreements that were made between the U.S. government and Indian tribes, the BIA serves as the trustee for Indian land and resources and the general support and civilization of Indian (Concludes on page two)