Nisqually River Restoration as a Persistent Effort to Preserve the Longstanding Traditions of the Local Indian Populations

The Nisqually River and Its Cultural History

The Nisqually River serves the local community as one of the most significant emblems of cultural history in addition to being a valuable natural resource. It has given generations of Nisqually Indians access to fresh fish and other delicacies, as well as a place to relax and travel. According to “the River of Kings” story, the locality once had a consistent supply of Chinook salmon. However, the fish habitats were destroyed by reckless agricultural practices and industrialization in the nearby metropolitan centers. Later, the tribal chiefs collaborated with businesses and government agencies to stock the river with a large number of fish. The restoration program represented an effort to maintain the native population history as it borrows many aspects of the Nisqually Indians’ longstanding customs and relationships with the neighboring urban communities.

The Importance of the Nisqually River to Urban Centers

The project pioneers, actors, and processes indicate that the planning and commercial activities of the urban centers along the river such as Eatonville, Tacoma, and Centralia are highly dependent on the native population’s history (Safina and Angier). The restoration was not only inspired by the need to preserve the environment but also the tribe’s sweet memories of the vibrant vegetation and aquatic lives around the river. According to Thrush, the native Indians told the Seattle authorities in the 1850s when they threatened to evict them from their land, that every part of the country is sacred to them ranging from the valleys to the steepest mountains (93). The same sentimental value prompted the tribal leaders to initiate the efforts to revive Nisqually River.

Preservation Efforts for a Sustainable Nisqually River

The restoration team tried as much as possible to reconstruct the river in ways that remind the natives of their past experiences. For example, the project’s primary aim was to ensure a sustainable supply of the Chinook salmon. As Safina points, the fish is an ancestral lifeblood of the community. Therefore, the program is not just an ordinary river clean-up but a critical initiative for preserving the Nisqually tribe’s lifestyle. Students at both Elementary and post high school levels visit the area regularly to study the ecosystem. At the same time, researchers with close links to the areas such are determined to maintain the river’s unique history. For example, Carl Safina dedicated his time and resources to encourage the general population to contribute towards the success of the project because he has been visiting the river since he was a kid. A group of engineers and Geological scientists led by Jean Takekawa tour the area to supervise the progress.

Fighting for Conservation and Protection

According to the natives, the continued effort to conserve the river and the surrounding environment presents an opportunity to maintain the legacy of their forefathers such as Chesheeahud (Thrush, 101). The 20th and 21st Century community elders such as Willy Frank Senior and Billy Frank Junior were arrested more than fifty times because of their determination to protect their community from repeated harassment by the local authorities (Robinson and Alesko, 9). Their fight against the selfish law enforcement officers that implemented injunctions to deprive them of their fishing rights finally yielded fruits through the 1974 ruling that entitled the natives to control 50% of the harvestable salmons. Thrush argues that the tribe suffered assault, mental tortured and jail terms in the efforts to provide food for their families (112). Similarly, the current Nisqually River population are fighting against contemporary forms of oppression such as pollution by the agricultural farms, construction of several dams along the river and dumping of toxic substances by the industrial companies.

Minimizing Conflicts and Ensuring Conservation

The restoration program is critical in minimizing the conflicts between the Indians, the government, and other stakeholders. For example, with the logjams and huge mashes reappearing, there are reduced cases of the fish movements being restricted by the several dams along the river. In the documentary, Carl Safina narrates that the team is restoring the ancient spawning grounds. Therefore, Nisqually is fast regaining its reputation as the River of Kings. On the other hand, Willy Frank sued Tacoma and Centralia cities for the damages caused by the turbines of the dams such as killing hundreds of salmon in the mid-1980s (Robinson and Alesko, 9). The legislations are still a central part of Nisqually River’s conservation process to date. Besides the raising awareness about the benefits of green agricultural practices around the river, the restoration team relies on legal aspects such as levying fines and closure of firms that do not meet the environmental safety standards.

The Success of Nisqually River Restoration

So far, Nisqually River has attracted healthy vegetation and dynamic habitats that provide the breeding grounds for the different types of fish. The engineers have set traps to catch insects and other foods for the salmon. Through the advisory services of the Nisqually tribe’s biologists like Chris Ellings, the residents have stopped the unfavorable activities such as dumping plastic material and other harmful substances to the river. These are scientists that were born and brought up in the area. Consequently, they are knowledgeable about the effects of various domestic and commercial activities on the demand and supply of the precious food source. Public education incentives such as community-based meetings and mass media advertisements as well as entering into agreements with various stakeholders are making it possible to increase the birth rates for the salmon. For example, the Nisqually River hatchery accounts for over 4 million annual births.

Nisqually Tribe Leaders and Environmental Regulations

The Nisqually tribe leaders are some of the most important contributors in the making of policies regulating the nearby urban centers’ land use and related environmental processes (Safina and Angier). They turn the real and fiction stories they heard from their parents as well as live experiences into actionable solutions to the challenges that have undermined the surrounding areas’ social, economic, and ecological prosperity. Such actionable intelligence includes creating artificial logjams and strategies for reducing the adverse effects of the urban runoff. For example, previously the runoffs containing toxic chemicals from Eatonville flowed to Mashel Tributary. However, the team created a rain garden to block the flow of such contaminated water into the salmon’s habitat.

The Living History of Nisqually River

In conclusion, Nisqually River history is characterized by constant assertive and legal actions. The Restoration project was born out of the natives’ dedication to protecting salmon’s habitat that has remained the Indians’ all-time favorite traditional since ancient times. The longstanding tradition was not only a source of strength to the past generation but still controls Nisqually population’s relationships with the Urban developers, authorities, and other stakeholders. Moreover, the project is a sign of the memorandum of understanding reached during the 1974’s case that required the local authorities to involve the natives in the co-managing of fishing activities along the river. Therefore, the natives’ history is alive and ongoing through the Nisqually Restoration Program.

Works Cited

Robinson, Steve, and Michael Alesko. “The Return of a River: A Nisqually Tribal Challenge.” nativecases.evergreen.edu/docs/Robinson-Alesko%20Nisqually30611.pdf. Accessed 23 Mar. 2017.

Safina, Carl and Angier George. River of Kings Part I and II. Chedd-Angier Production, 2012. Video.

Thrush, Coll. City of the Changers: Indigenous People and the Transformation of Seattle’s Watersheds. Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 75, no. 1 (2006), pp. 89 -117.