Beginning with treaties in 1854 and 1855, Native American tribes of Washington ceded their land to the United States but had reserved the right to fish as they had always done, including fishing at traditional locations that were off the designated reservations. Over time, the state of Washington had infringed on the treaty rights of the tribes despite losing a series of court cases on the issue. In 1974 United States District Judge George Boldt ruled that American Indian tribes in the State of Washington had the right to harvest salmon and other fish in accordance with the treaties. The decision caused an immediate negative reaction from some citizens of Washington and evoked strong emotions. Non-Indian commercial fishermen ignored the ruling and the state was reluctant (or at times refused) to enforce the law, prompting Judge Boldt to order the United States Coast Guard and federal law enforcement agencies to enforce his rulings.

In this image a crowd of about 500 people march along First Avenue towards Waterfront Park in support of Indian-treaty fishing rights. The march was supported by the Native American Solidarity Committee and intended to draw attention to what protesters said was violation of Indian fishing rights in Washington and to urge the United States Supreme Court to uphold the Boldt decision.

Caption information source: The Seattle Times, May 13, 1979, page 14
Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.