Billy Frank Jr. of the Nisqually Indian Tribe passed away this morning. Frank was an icon of treaty Indian fishing rights in Washington State, the fish wars of the 1960s that lead to the federal court decision of US v WA in 1974. Billy helped found and has lead the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission since its inception. Billy was supposed to be at a meeting this morning to discuss details regarding the decision to not stock hatchery steelhead in Puget Sound rivers this spring. When he didn't show, NWIFC staff went looking and found that he had passed away in his sleep.

RIP Billy