The Office of Tribal Relations would like to recognize that Monday, February 12, 2024 was the 50th anniversary of the Boldt Decision. This ruling was monumental for Washington state Tribes affirming their treaty-protected right to fish on their traditional lands. For information on the Boldt Decision and its lasting impact, we recommend the following resources as a starting point.
For a deep dive into the history and ongoing impact of this watershed ruling, check out “Treaty Justice: The Northwest Tribes, the Boldt Decision, and the Recognition of Fishing Rights” by eminent legal historian and longtime tribal advocate Charles Wilkinson.
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KUOW Soundside’s recent segment about the Boldt Decision provides a great summary of how this landmark federal court case brought against Washington state reaffirmed the treaty rights of Native Americans to fish in traditional waters and shorelines.
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HistoryLink and The Columbian both posted articles about the history of the Boldt Decision, how it came to be, and what the decision meant for Tribes in the state of Washington.
Boldt Decision: United States v. State of Washington – HistoryLink.org
The Boldt Decision’s impact on Indigenous rights, 50 years later – The Columbian
A model of a statue of the late Billy Frank Jr., a champion for Tribal treaty rights and salmon recovery, was unveiled at the state Capitol in Olympia in January, set to become the first statue depicting a contemporary Native American in the National Statuary Hall in the nation’s Capitol.
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