After a winter of netting as many Steelhead as they possibly could, it just wasn't enough! Now the Muckleshoot biologist(an indian) is floating the Green river with his indian buddies and catching and killing natives. If that isn't bad enough he's down at Auburn sports bragging about it! Even after the river closes to retention of wild fish they can go down and kill the natives fishing from a driftboat with rod and reel. Everyone else has to get out of the boat to fish but they can fish from the boat and do, many times pulling plugs through the holes. It totally disgusts me for a biologist, who should know better, to be killing natives so blatantly.

It is sad, if this is what is going on. I am very frustrated with this best of both worlds mentality. It doesn't appear to be for sustenance purposes. Just being a part of the exclusive club. It is activities such as this that generates a negative image on the native-american fisheries. What is even more frustrating is there is no-one you can call to report this. Just watch it happen. Gawd, when is someone in politics going to get a spine.

Oh my god, I think I am going to be sick, wait a minute, I am sick. And people wonder why the native americans get a bad rap!!! Now I am going to go and puke my guts out AAAAHHHRRRGGG!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately it is true, and I saw they're driftboat on the river today.

Hi Jigman,
This actually made my heart ache when I read it. I have learned the Indian ways and beliefs for many years, and think they have a lot to share about nature and respect and appreciation for the earth, but when it comes to taking care of the land and the water and the fish..."Mother Earth"..."The Great Provider", I have seen many confusing and disturbing things, like what you saw yesterday. (when I stood you up on the Green!) :-) That would have totally just killed me to see!!! I don't UNDERSTAND how this continues...with all the talk of how much help the fish need, etc.! What are people thinking??? WHY??? Because they CAN?????????????????????????????

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"Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds!" Albert Einstein

What I see happening to the Green is what has happened to the Cedar and the Nisqually.....the river will be closed to steelhead fishing in the near future because of the lack of fish. I've fished it nearly 20 years and it's continues to get worse every year!

Afterthought: Ya know what it is that bugs me...it's the flaunting that the Native Americans seem to do with "their rights" to damage the fisheries and take whatever they want, however they want! That's what it is that really bugs me!!! Kind of like the whale catch earlier in the year...tell me those people REALLY needed whale meat in the freezer!!! Oh ARRrrggghhhhh!!! OK, I'm done venting!!!

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"Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds!" Albert Einstein

the Mucks.....of ALL tribes have No business taking anything wild because of the excessive incomes their gambling houses make. There are so few Mucks and so much money they could be eating steak and lobster every night. So then, why do the do this. Pure and simple. Because they can....and the white sportsman rings his hands and does NOTHING. We get what we deserve! Problem is, those elk their killing and those nats the killing in the Green dont vote! WAKE UP AMERICA............(from a REAL Native)

Can they really do this???? Sportfishing in blatant violation of published regulations off the reservation! I would be willing to bet it would be a legal violation, only problem is finding an officer to write the ticket and a County Prosecutor willing to press charges.
I live in Yakima, and when the native am's shot the elk in the feeding station (twice) they were arrested and prosecuted (although nothing much ever came of it after all the legal wrangling).

I would think they could be ticketed. If a Native American was violating traffic laws off they reservation they would be ticketed, wouldn't they?
Bitching about the Native Americans won't put more fish on the end of your line.

The violation questions are interesting. If its indeed legal for them to take natives by hook and line in the Green by boat, its probably an extension of their treaty rights. May be finishing off a quota or something. If this is the case, it may be really bad PR, but are they doing anything worse than the netting?

Also a comment about a biologist fishing for nates. I've spoken to several State biologists and all of them think natives should be harvested in systems where a quota has been established. Look at the drama occurring on the coast. It's the current mindset. I don't think it peculiar that this biologist happened to be an Indian.

If, on the other hand, what they're doing is illegal, call the cops. If they're doing it day after day, as Jigman says, they wouldn't be hard catch in the act. And I don't think enforcement would hesitate citing them, just because their Indians.

Since the tribal biologist is involved so openly like this, I have a feeling that what their doing is within their treaty rights. The way I see it, better to take them one at a time, than 20 from a net, but I admit, it looks real bad. Best thing to do is to find out.

Just a reminder how quickly ou wonderful governor could give a [Bleeeeep!] about our fisheries. Example, on the Quillayute this year the tribes are only suppose to net on mondays and wendsdays but they decided to go ahead and net monday through friday. Man, let me tell you, I eas up their alot this year for kings and silvers and their nets were strewn ALL OVER the river, not to mention they wiped out a good number of silvers. Also I witnessed first hand an indian throwing a drift sein and netting quite a few kings in the 30 to 40lb. range. After netting these kings he would throw them up on the bank where we sat and watched the seagulls pick their eyes out and eat huge hole in their guts to get at the eggs!! Ya you can tell me these fish are now worth top dollar!! So, I read that the state new they were netting 5 sdays a week but felt it was in the best interest of the people of wash. state not to do anything about it AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!! This pisses me off to no end. So dont expect to get any help from our liberal polititions that are involved with our f*cked fisheries!!!!!!!!!!! Boy I feel better now, Yeah right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RAPE RAPE RAPE SAY GOOD BYE TO THE GREEN RIVER

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No doubt about it: We screwed the native Americans "some time ago". But to allow the rape of our natural resources (eg: wild steelhead) to "make it up to them" has little--rather nothing--to do with what happened some time ago. Just MHO.

Question , If a run of fish becomes too depleteed to catch does the tribe and it's members recieve compensation from the Feds??? I've kept quiet about this for too long.About 7 years ago on the Nisqually I personally witnessed ( on more then 1 evening )2 boats about 30 feet apart with a net between them ,it still brings a tear to my eye to see all those crome beautiful native fish in those nets ...this was happening at dark? why? shorty their after they closed this river for steelhead (imagaine that)I'm not responsible for the actions of my ancestors.What happened in our past was inevetable...the way it happened was unconsievable ... just my .02

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Tight Lines
<*)>><------FISH ON!!!

Why doesn't the government tell the indians
look you want to have gambling places then you give up your fishing rights and fish like every other washington resident does.they are supposed to fish for food and for money to live on,Well there makeing a ton of money
in there gambling houses and cig.,and fireworks stores that they don't need to fish for a living.It would be nice if the government and the so called wdfw would use there heads for something besides a hatrack..

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Bob Dawson


[This message has been edited by dawhunt (edited 02-14-2000).]

Dawhunt, a lot of tribes do both (fishing rights and casinos) Just because they own casinos doesn't mean they make a profit. A lot of casinos go bankrupt. What I've read and been told the natives will never give up there fishing rights. Which leaves us with little bargaining power. Jim Marquis

My family has been on the Peninsula since 1860, and we have seen a whole lot of changes take place. I am only 21, but my grandfather told me stories how the river were just full to the brim with fish. Since I started fishing there has been a huge decline in the numbers of returning fish. Thank you very much native americans. If they are allowed to net, then they shouldn't be allowed to fish with a rod and a reel, or vis versa. Until we get the natives to stop/reduce netting, fishing will never return to what it once was.

Good luck

I say we make a trade they can keep there casinos if they pull there nets out of the water.Or was casinos in there treatie too!!!!Its time they start livin like everyone else!!!!They have had plenty of time to do so.

They already have what they want so, why would they want to change it? They can have both with little we can do about it. Jim Marquis