Protests in the 1960s and 1970s, known at the time collectively as the "fish wars," eventually led to the Boldt Decision (United States v. Washington, 1974), a federal ruling guaranteeing Washington tribes half the state's salmon and steelhead trout catch.

In the 1990s, with growing water pollution nationwide, a study showed that tribal members living and fishing along the Columbia River ate 12% to 67% more fish than average Americans. This contamination could seriously affect Indian health, and the prohibition of fishing would interfere with centuries of cultural practice. Based on this and other studies, Northwest tribes gained legal authority to regulate water quality on their lands and upstream water sources.

Here, Yakama Nation fishers check their nets while fishing on the Columbia River, near Lyle, Washington.

Caption information source: http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/fish-ins.htm
Caption information source: “Tribes fear threat to way of life”, by Paul Shukovsky, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 7, 1993, pp. 1, 8.
Caption information source: “Dioxins may cause more than cancer”, by Paul Shukovsky, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 7, 1993, p. 8.