Gifts from the Creator

Fishing Traditions

Sustaining Salmon

Inter-tribal Cooperation

Inter-tribal Cooperation

Tribal people in the Columbia Basin are proud of the treaty provisions their ancestors negotiated in 1855, but they are also acutely aware of the responsibility to protect the health of the salmon population the treaty “rights” place on them.

The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) was formed in 1977 to coordinate the fish management policies of the four Columbia River treaty nations: the Umatilla, Nez Perce, Warm Springs, and Yakama. These communities share a commitment to sustaining the presence of salmon in their cultures.