Zinke wants Spokane Tribe compensated for loss of land and lifestyle to Dam

[bigtex]

Interior Secretary Zinke wants Spokane Tribe compensated for loss of land and lifestyle to Grand Coulee Dam
By Becky Kramer
The Spokesman-Review

In a visit to the Spokane Indian Reservation, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke pledged to support compensation for Grand Coulee Dam’s impact on the tribe’s lands and traditional livelihood.

The massive dam was built without fish ladders more than 75 years ago, cutting off critical salmon runs to the Spokane and upper Columbia rivers. Tribal lands were flooded, forcing families to leave homes and farms.

“I like the challenge of some of these older wrongs that need to be righted,” Zinke said at a news conference Thursday following a 90-minute meeting with the Spokane Tribe’s council.

“Clearly, in my opinion, the tribe was wronged,” said Zinke, who oversees relationships between the federal government and Native American tribes. “I support getting to a conclusion on this.”

The former Montana congressman met with tribal leaders during a 24-hour road trip across Washington that also proved significant for Zinke’s show of support — on Friday in Skagit County — for grizzly-bear recovery in the North Cascades.

Zinke, an adopted member of the Assiniboine Sioux Tribe, said the meetings with tribes were a chance “to put a face with the nation.”

Carol Evans, chairwoman of the Spokane Tribe, presented Zinke with “gifts from the heart” and thanked him for the visit. He accepted moose and elk jerky, huckleberry jam and a string tie beaded with the image of a war bonnet.

Zinke also used meetings with tribes in Washington to talk about the effect of the opioid epidemic in Indian Country. The Department of Interior can help tribes combat drug dealing through cooperative law-enforcement actions, said Zinke, who also met this week with tribes in Arizona and Wisconsin on the opioid issue.

Community-based treatment for addicts is critical, he added.

“It has to be culturally relevant, and it has to be targeted to the kids, the moms and the grandmas,” Zinke said. (Many tribes are matriarchal.) “When the population of moms and grandmas are addicted … the fabric of the tribe begins to fall apart.”

Glenn Ford, a member of the Spokane Tribe’s council, said he came away from the meeting impressed with Zinke’s knowledge of issues important to tribes.

Zinke’s support for a Grand Coulee Dam settlement also pleased council members.

In 1994, with the help of then-House Speaker Tom Foley, the Colville Tribe received a $53 million settlement, plus annual payments based on power production and prices. In contrast, the Spokane Tribe received an initial payment of $4,700 for damage caused by the dam, but has not been able to renegotiate the settlement.

The Spokane Tribe would receive a $53 million settlement under federal legislation sponsored last year by U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray. The money would compensate the tribe for the use of its lands for decades of hydropower production. Similar legislation has been introduced every year since 2000, but has never passed in both the Senate and the House.

Scott Wheat, an attorney for the Spokane Tribe, said older relatives from his wife’s family often talked about how Grand Coulee Dam changed the river.

Fred Samuels, one of the elders, had a picture of himself with a huge chinook salmon strapped on his horse. He caught the salmon in the lower Spokane River before Grand Coulee’s construction blocked the runs.

“They may not have had a lot of economic opportunity off of the reservation,” Wheat said, “but they had an abundance of resources to provide for themselves.”

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/interior-secretary-zinke-wants-spokane-tribe-compensated-for-loss-of-land-and-lifestyle-to-grand-coulee-dam/

[Skyvalhunter]

The more he talks the less impressed I am with him!!

[duckmen1]

So saying to sue the government and get huge payouts for what I see is beneficial to them is just being sue happy. I hear it time and time again. This time its the dam. Which we provide power in which can benefit them in a much easier lifestyle. Ive heard the same with power terbines in which was saying goverment is more responsible for eagle deaths, for that a specific group tribe members were being harrassed and shouldn't be reprimanded in the past poaching eagles off a highway over a pile of dead deer carcasses from which they shot and dumped off the highway while at there vehicle with no drivers license and rifles etc. In the past I've heard stories and complaints of roads on tribal land. Ive got a better idea. Let take away road and power to the tribal land since all they want to due is sue us over and see how they really like there old tribal ways that they haven't even grown up in that lifestyle of modern society they have adapted too today. Many people have it so good today in many aspects and take it for granted. I went to an event that was trying to educate the youth on tribal ways and they had some materials to try and set up a tee pee. Well for trying to educate the youth is was pretty appearant that the adults had no idea how to even due such a simple tribal task. They wouldn't last. 

This isn't meant to be a tribal bash but meant to share some possible thought that yeah there are differences on a lot of topics that go beond hunting and fishing rights. And yes there are a lot of differences in all lifestyles of people from todays world vs. the past. The way I see it is this is getting more and more out of hand. And our government needs to figure out a way to do things without caving into huge lawsuit payouts and such on these topics.

[PlateauNDN]

So you're basing multiple tribal nations cultural knowledge, identity and ability to teach the next generation off of one demonstration by tribal members from a single tribe?

Hmmm......

[duckmen1]

I just thought that was a funny example of a group I saw showing how modern days show modern changes in lifestyle. As far as teaching about ones past culture I do think that native americans as a whole are one of the best at teaching and attempting to keep a culture alive. Many other cultures have blended as a whole and lost there roots of past ancestrial ways.

[huntnfmly]

Colville tribe received 53 million and future payments and Spokane tribe only received  $4700 doesn't take a masters in math to see thats lopsided.
I see nothing wrong with them being compisated fairly

[Skyvalhunter]

Who agreed on the terms?

[PlateauNDN]

I just thought that was a funny example of a group I saw showing how modern days show modern changes in lifestyle. As far as teaching about ones past culture I do think that native americans as a whole are one of the best at teaching and attempting to keep a culture alive. Many other cultures have blended as a whole and lost there roots of past ancestrial ways.

There's a generational gap that's affecting many Tribes. There's adults now that did not learn or want to learn from their parents and they're suffering from an identity crisis now.

Now that they've decided to settle down and are being looked upon as elders and teachers they don't know what to do.

A common mistake is not learning from one generation and passing along the same mistakes that generation has made. My parents made mistakes and did not learn some cultural/traditional skills that they should've as youth that they should've passed along to I and my siblings but they didn't.

It had to come from grandparents. The generation I'm in has to deal with learning from grandparents and in some cases great grandparents.

The affects are being felt now with our current youth and young adults. They believe because it's a Right we should and can exploit the Right to the verge of abuse and neglect.

That's not how our ancestors thought and that's not how we are supposed to be taught but because some have chosen to forego teachings and not take the time to learn from our elders that are passing at a rapid rate there's knowledge that isn't being passed down, oral history that isn't being taught and you've witnessed it with the adults attempting to teach the fundamentals of building a teepee.

I could go on at the disparity but I'll cut it short for now.

[bearpaw]

Colville tribe received 53 million and future payments and Spokane tribe only received  $4700 doesn't take a masters in math to see thats lopsided.
I see nothing wrong with them being compisated fairly

My families ranch overlooked the Columbia, my grandpa used to spear burbot using a lantern in the bow of a boat before the dam went in. My dad remembers the salmon runs at Kettle Falls, he and my grandfather used to stop and trade with the Indians for salmon. My dad sat on the hill and watched crews cut the timber below the family ranch when they were putting in the dam.

Yes, that certainly seems like a lopsided deal! As a third generation resident and with my kids and grandkids living in NE WA, my family has a five generation history here. I'm wondering when our 53 Million payout will come? We have not even received the first $4700! 

[duckmen1]

I just thought that was a funny example of a group I saw showing how modern days show modern changes in lifestyle. As far as teaching about ones past culture I do think that native americans as a whole are one of the best at teaching and attempting to keep a culture alive. Many other cultures have blended as a whole and lost there roots of past ancestrial ways.

There's a generational gap that's affecting many Tribes. There's adults now that did not learn or want to learn from their parents and they're suffering from an identity crisis now.

Now that they've decided to settle down and are being looked upon as elders and teachers they don't know what to do.

A common mistake is not learning from one generation and passing along the same mistakes that generation has made. My parents made mistakes and did not learn some cultural/traditional skills that they should've as youth that they should've passed along to I and my siblings but they didn't.

It had to come from grandparents. The generation I'm in has to deal with learning from grandparents and in some cases great grandparents.

The affects are being felt now with our current youth and young adults. They believe because it's a Right we should and can exploit the Right to the verge of abuse and neglect.

That's not how our ancestors thought and that's not how we are supposed to be taught but because some have chosen to forego teachings and not take the time to learn from our elders that are passing at a rapid rate there's knowledge that isn't being passed down, oral history that isn't being taught and you've witnessed it with the adults attempting to teach the fundamentals of building a teepee.

I could go on at the disparity but I'll cut it short for now.

Very well written and I can agree with everything said in this post. I do have a lot of respect for the elders in the culture and the individuals that try to keep the culture alive. I don't agree with select individuals that give the culture a bad rep which I think we can all agree on. But that's the same with my culture and others as well. As far as the original post goes without taking it as far as I did I could say it in the terms of if one or a group of people utilize power and such from such a thing as a dam that has been in place as long as it has and made life easier on a person using electricity for lights, cooking, freezers, TV, Internet,etc like we all do as well as state supplemental distribution of salmon around the dams, as too why one would sue and be given settlements for such a thing that I see has made life better off as it is today. This country has so much to offer and many people try to sue and take rights away for reasons I don't see. 

[DOUBLELUNG]

I have no problem with the Spokane Tribe receiving a similar settlement as the Colvilles. 

[idahohuntr]

Colville tribe received 53 million and future payments and Spokane tribe only received  $4700 doesn't take a masters in math to see thats lopsided.
I see nothing wrong with them being compisated fairly

My families ranch overlooked the Columbia, my grandpa used to spear burbot using a lantern in the bow of a boat before the dam went in. My dad remembers the salmon runs at Kettle Falls, he and my grandfather used to stop and trade with the Indians for salmon. My dad sat on the hill and watched crews cut the timber below the family ranch when they were putting in the dam.

Yes, that certainly seems like a lopsided deal! As a third generation resident and with my kids and grandkids living in NE WA, my family has a five generation history here. I'm wondering when our 53 Million payout will come? We have not even received the first $4700! 

Your 5 generation family and federally recognized tribes are apples and oranges...from a legal, ethical, and common sense view. 

[KFhunter]

Colville tribe received 53 million and future payments and Spokane tribe only received  $4700 doesn't take a masters in math to see thats lopsided.
I see nothing wrong with them being compisated fairly

My families ranch overlooked the Columbia, my grandpa used to spear burbot using a lantern in the bow of a boat before the dam went in. My dad remembers the salmon runs at Kettle Falls, he and my grandfather used to stop and trade with the Indians for salmon. My dad sat on the hill and watched crews cut the timber below the family ranch when they were putting in the dam.

Yes, that certainly seems like a lopsided deal! As a third generation resident and with my kids and grandkids living in NE WA, my family has a five generation history here. I'm wondering when our 53 Million payout will come? We have not even received the first $4700! 

Your 5 generation family and federally recognized tribes are apples and oranges...from a legal, ethical, and common sense view.

I'll agree with legal, as there's none.  Whole towns and communities were uprooted, saw mills, rail roads and highway systems all went under the water.

[trophyhunt]

Wait a minute, is this some type of renegotiation ?

[beardown]

This was 75 years ago!  A little late. Give it up. Whats next? Pay all the families of slaves back wages? What has this country come to?  This is all B.S.  Im sick of hearing all this "tribal oppression" garbage. Time to make EVERYONE equal and incorporate these tribal nations into the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!  Where EVERYONE is equal and the government quits handing out millions for mistakes or wrongdoings from decades or centuries in the past!