"I believe it is the modern day legal interpretation of wording that in no way was intended to guarantee a fixed percentage of anything. I didn't see 50% or "Half" or "Even Stephen Split" or "One for you, one for me" mentioned anywhere in the treaty."

While there is plenty of fault, blame, or reasons to go around, the above quote is directly attributable to the good Senator Slade Gorton, back when he was Washington State's Attorney General.

The Departments of Wildlife and Fisheries, at his insistence, denied the treaty tribes the right to fish at all, much less "in common with" the citizens...their intransigence is what eventually lead to the Boldt Decision.

The Boldt Decision, of course, was based on interpreting the language of the original Stevens Treaties, written and signed by Governor Stevens in 1855 at the insistence of the President, who made writing and signing those treaties a very high priority so that development and settlement could proceed here poste haste, and with the least amount of tribal interference possible.

The 50/50 split interpretation, though, was based not just on the words of the treaty, but the context in which they were being interpreted...and unfortunately for us, they were being interpreted in the context of Slade Gorton being an a$$hole, and the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

It's understandable why he was being that way...after all, Gorton's Seafood doesn't share the same name with him by coincidence...it's the family business, and tribal fishing ran directly counter to his personal financial interests.

For all the various reasons and causes of our current 50/50 split, that single one is most responsible.

I know that there are plenty of Republican partisans who still love the guy, but what I just wrote above is the unadulterated truth, and if you want to love the guy, at least admit to loving him in spite of that truth, rather than ignoring or denying it.

Fish on...

Todd