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 Billy
Frank, Jr. of the Nisqually Indian Tribe,
has been Chairman of the Northwest
Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC)
for 22 years. In this capacity, he "speaks
for the salmon" on behalf of 19 Treaty Indian
Tribes in western Washington. Under his leadership,
the tribal role over the past 30 years has
evolved from that of activists, fighting the
state to secure fishing rights reserved in
treaties with the United States government,
to managers of the resource. Supported by
the NWIFC, the tribes are unsurpassed in their
abilities as natural resource managers.
In the 1960's and early 70's, Frank was a
grass roots political activist who was frequently
jailed for his role in civil disobedience,
which involved taking part in numerous "fish-in's"
in opposition to state authority over the
tribes. Years of resistance finally paid off
when federal court ruled in favor of the tribes
in U.S. v. Washington, the "Boldt Decision"
of 1974. The ruling, supported by the U.S.
Supreme Court in 1979, reaffirmed the treaty-protected
fishing rights of the tribes. Among other
things, the ruling stated that the tribes
have a right to catch up to 50 percent of
the harvestable resource, and that the state
and the tribes must manage the resource as
co-managers.
NWIFC was formed in 1975, to support tribal
fisheries management activities and to enable
the tribes to speak with a united voice. In
addition to helping the tribes develop cooperative
fisheries plans, the NWIFC board of commissioners
and the commission staff help coordinate such
programs as enhancement and habitat management.
This example of state/tribal cooperation has
had its challenges, but it has been fundamentally
successful and has inspired similar efforts
in other parts of the U.S. and the world.
With Frank's leadership, the NWIFC and the
tribes it serves are working to protect and
restore the salmon resource for Indians and
non-Indians alike.
Celebrated regionally, nationally and internationally
as an outstanding Native American leader,
Frank has been the recipient of numerous recognition
awards, including the 1991 Albert Schweitzer
Prize for Humanitarianism and 2004
Indian Country Today Inaugural American Visionary
Award
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