Krijack,

Please, the 1963 9th Circuit decision is Skokomish v. France, NOT French.

Second, the DOI document is a legal opinion of DOI's Solicitor's Office and is not a "decision." They might like you to think that it is, but it isn't a decision until a court ruling makes it so. As an opinion, the document carries only as much weight as a reader decides to give it. WDFW decided to agree on a river closure while they review the opinion. It remains to be seen if WDFW's AAG agrees with the validity of the opinion or not. WDFW might decide they don't agree with the opinion and reopen the river to non-Indian fishing. The Skokomish Tribe and DOI would then have to sue the state in federal court to have the opinion adjudicated. The ruling by a federal court would be the "decision," and it could be appealed if the losing party chose to.