Cohoangler, How would a tribal member on the commission not be part of managing our 50% of the pie?? To maintain their treaty rights (as interpreted as having 50%) they have to be a seperate nation.

As Dogfish has pointed out, I'd have no problem with them sitting on the commission as a member of this state if we were all managing the same piece of pie for all to fish in common. That's not the case. The tribes sure aren't going to let EyeDoc sit as a voting member of their fisheries management committee!

I get the kum bi ya (sp whatever) feeling of not having an us vs. them. That would be great! Just tear up the treaties that were made between two nations, do away with the tribal nations all together and then any well-qualified [former] tribal member would be welcome to sit on the commission and help decide how WE ALL manage the fisheries TOGETHER for COMMON usage.

Otherwise, it would be like having a Canadian citizen sit on our negotiating committee as we are working out salmon treaties with Canada. Can't sit on both sides of the fence!