Camp Day 10 People of the Big River 2017

July 18, 2017

Camp Day 10

Today we went Spokane Tribe Fish Hatchery and meet with Tim Peone; Fishers Manager. He shares the ground and the natures water spring bubbling up from the ground. The program was established in 1990 with little funding only using basic tools and simple methods. Their spawning methods were successful and the program continued to grow. A hundred percent of the fish raised at the hatchery are meant to be harvested. Salmon was a food staple for the people of the Spokane region were river people, with the construction of dams blocking their water ways the fish have not been able to reach the upper tributary’s. When establishing the needs of the local tribal people, elders and counsel. Because technologies have advanced the hatchery has expanded and there are fish on top of fish.

Skull of what looks like a horse.

Eddy Matherly; Spokane Wildlife Program Manager

We then headed to the Wildlife Project in the reservation and meet with Eddy Matherly; Wildlife Program Manager. He has been working for wildlife for ten years. The office is located at Lake Roosevelt, it was initially private land the tribe has acquired in a sale. The purpose of the program is to ensure habitat for wildlife. Protecting both people and animals as much as possible. Wildlife gives permit to hunters. Bears are considered predators and can be hunter year around. When Salmon were no longer available to the native people and they became big game hunters.