"I was among the 300 or so people invited to Billy Frank Jr.�s 75th birthday bash Friday night at Little Creek Casino near Shelton. The standing-room only crowd clearly pushed beyond the list of invitees. But isn�t that what you would expect for a night honoring the man who has spent 60 years of his life � first fighting for, then working in cooperation with others � to assure that Northwest treaty tribes gain and maintain their right to fish for and manage the salmon that embody their cultures? They came from all over the country and all over Indian Country � tribal elders, young school children from the Wah-He-Lut School at Frank�s Landing on the Nisqually River, Congressman Norm Dicks, D-Wash., fellow members of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission that Billy co-founded more than 30 years ago � everyone, including me, touched in one profound way or another by this American Indian icon." Get the Story:
John Dodge: 75 years and counting in lifetime of standing up (The Olympian 3/12) Relevant Links:
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission - http://www.nwifc.org Related Stories:
Indian Country shows support for Washington Embassy (03/03)
Being Frank: On Earth And On Mars, Water Is Life (02/12)
Boldt treaty rights decision still alive 30 years later (02/12)
Landmark Boldt fishing rights decision turns 30 (2/10)
Wash. tribes push water rights (1/14)
Billy Frank: Protecting our salmon (01/11)