Spokane River Salmon: OREM-9
To Register: https://inside.ewu.edu/orem/
View Conference Agenda
You are invited to the 9th One River, Ethics Matter (OREM) conference, free, virtual, and open to the public:
Restoring Salmon to the Spokane and Upper Columbia Rivers
September 27-28, 2022 (2 morning sessions)
– Indigenous Hosts: Spokane Tribe of Indians and The Coeur d’Alene Tribe with support from Upper Columbia United Tribes.
– Academic Host: Eastern Washington University — Small Urban Rural & Tribal Center on Mobility (SURTCOM)
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to view a short film from last year’s OREM-8:
Restoring Salmon to the Okanagan and Upper Columbia Rivers
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About: In 2022, with Pope Francis describing abuse of Indigenous people in Canada a “genocide” and Canada and United States negotiating the Columbia River’s treaty and future, this 9th OREM focuses on restoring salmon to the Spokane and Upper Columbia Rivers.
For Indigenous people of the Columbia River and its tributaries, salmon were at their life’s center. Destroying salmon was part of the genocide. Against all odds – a genocidal past with a climate-crisis future – tribes have stepped into a leadership role to protect and restore rivers and salmon – and our collective future. Restoring Spokane River salmon is part of this story and our focus for OREM-9.
Today, Indigenous sovereigns are stepping up as leaders throughout the Columbia River watershed to protect and restore fish and wildlife. Tribes, with broad support, are leading efforts to restore salmon above Grand Coulee Dam to spawning waters of the Upper Columbia River, including the Spokane River.
The Spokane River was home to one of the most bountiful salmon runs in the entire Columbia River watershed. From time immemorial, Indigenous people gathered at Spokane Falls for the returning summer Chinook Salmon. Salmon remain deeply important for Indigenous culture and sustenance.
Today, however, dams block returning salmon. The Grand Coulee Dam alone cuts off more than 40% of total salmon and steelhead habitat in the Columbia Basin.
This 9th OREM focuses on restoring Spokane River Salmon — righting historic wrongs, advancing stewardship, and examining the role of tribes who increasingly give voice to the voiceless: salmon, rivers, and future generations.
OREM-9 Planning Committee: Bobbie White, Casey Flanagan, Cody Thomas, Margo Hill, Rick Raymondi, Tom Soeldner, John Rosenberg, John Osborn
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. OREM – One River, Ethics Matter – is supported by the Columbia Institute for Water Policy and Sierra Club. For more: riverethics.org