Snit - Your questions have been debated on this BB for years, so you are not alone.

Perhaps I can lend some perspective on your concerns, without hijacking the thread.

The Tribes signed numerous Treaties back around 1855 or so. Many of them were negotiated by Isaac Stevens so they are known today as the Steven’s Treaties. The Tribes gave up much of their ancestral land they ‘owned’ (loosely defined) in exchange for the right to continue to live on the land as they had for centuries. They didn’t want to be shuffled off to a distant reservation.

They also did not give up their right to hunt and fish in their usual and accustomed places. Since they lived a subsistence lifestyle, they had to hunt, fish, and gather roots and berries for sustenance (no other choice in 1855). But take note, the Treaties did NOT give the Tribes the right to hunt and fish in their usual and accustomed places. The Treaties acknowledged that right existed BEFORE the Treaties were signed. Signing the Treaties ensured that right would continue into the future, up to and including 2021. Thus, the Treaties did not provide the Tribes with anything they didn’t already have, including the right to hunt and fish in their usual and accustomed places. That remains so today.

In the intervening 160+ years, lots of things have happened in the PNW, including building lots of dams on the Columbia and its tributaries. This had the effect of facilitating human development throughout the PNW to the detriment of the fish and wildlife resources that live there, and which the Tribes rely on for both subsistence and ceremonial purposes. We all know the Tribes no longer live a subsistence lifestyle. They go to the grocery store just like everyone else. But the Treaties have not changed. The Tribal rights reserved by the Treaties still exist.

So when will it end? In short, it won’t. The Treaties remain as they were negotiated. The Tribes still have their reserved rights. This is not racism. It’s just a product of the negotiations that occurred in 1855. The Columbia River Tribes will be somewhat satisfied when the Columbia River once again produces a similar number of adult salmon that existed when the Treaties were signed (~ 10-15 million). The current production of salmon in the Columbia is around 1 million, so we have a long way to go.

In the meantime, the Tribes use whatever leverage they have to ensure the Federal government lives up to the expectations of the Treaties they negotiated and signed in 1855. If that means negotiating with government agencies such as BPA, the Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, or WDFW, that is what they will do. They are acting in the best interests of their Tribe. Which is exactly what we would expect them to do.

Hope this helps.