Artwork credit: © A. Cyaltsa Finkbonner, 2023
Starting Sept 23rd, 2023, the intertribal nonprofit Se’Si’Le’ will join with coalition partners, including Native Organizers Alliance, Nimíipuu Protecting the Environment, and KHIMSTONIK begin an eight-day journey across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho (September 23 – October 1). The journey starts in Olympia then visit Portland, Pasco, Spokane, Nez Perce, ending in Seattle on Sunday, October 1st at Town Hall Seattle.
The goal of this journey is to raise support of treaty rights in the Columbia River Basin and voice concerns about the health of the Salish Sea bio-region by bearing witness to the urgency of breaching without further delay the Lower Snake River Dams.
As with Totem Pole Journeys in the past, Northwest Native Nations are requesting people of faith and conscience show up in solidarity with the Indigenous-led movement to transition the Snake River to a free-flowing state and restore the health of salmon and orca. In the past, we as people of faith and conscience, have shown up when requested and journeyed for the restoration of NW ecosystems, treaty rights, and salmon recovery and it is time we show up once again.
The urgency for this journey and public awareness grows as reports on salmon, orca, and river health and vitality are becoming increasingly concerning. The time is ripe for such a tour as this as public pressure grows in support of a just transition away from the Lower Snake River dams to public infrastructure that provides for climate safe agriculture, a transition to effective renewable energy sources, as well as salmon and river recovery.
“Time is running out to protect our sacred salmon. This is a crisis that threatens our way of life, and it is a violation of our treaty rights. The federal government is failing to uphold the promises made to our ancestors when we ceded our lands.”
~ Shannon Wheeler, Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho
We have an ethical responsibility to support this Indigenous-led movement to protect their salmon and orca relations at this critical time and to hold the US government accountable to our treaty promises with Native Nations. Solidarity from the faith community helps amplify the tribal leaders’ message that the need to recover abundant salmon and orca is at its core a deeply spiritual, moral issue.
Earth Ministry/WAIPL is encouraging our community members to join us at these powerful ceremonies across the region, and we are honored to be the non-profit point of contact supporting the opening event in Olympia. Please use the RSVP link below to sign up if you plan to attend any of the 2023 All Our Relations Snake River Campaign events so that we can have a strong faith community response to Native Nations calls for solidarity. Thank you!
All Our Relations
Snake River Campaign
2023 Journey Schedule
Olympia, WA – September 23rd
United Churches of Olympia, 1:00-4:30pm
110 11th Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501
Procession to the Capitol Steps following the inside ceremony (2:30-4:00pm)
Earth Ministry/WAIPL is the non-profit point of contact providing support for the Olympia stop and is following the of Se’Si’Le’, Native Organizers Alliance, and Nimíipuu Protecting the Environment.
Portland, OR – September 25th
EcoTrust (Billy Frank Jr. Conference Room), 6:00-8:00pm
721 NW Ninth Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Second Floor
Celilo Falls – September 26th
THIS LOCATION HAS BEEN CHANGED
Pasco, WA – September 26th*- UPDATED LOCATION
Sacajawea Historical State Park, 10:30-1:00pm
2503 Sacajawea Park Rd, Pasco, WA 99301
Spokane, WA – September 27th
Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, 6:00-8:00pm
2316 W 1st Ave, Spokane, WA 99201
Nez Perce – September 29th
Hells Gate Park, Evening Gathering
5100 Hells Gate Rd, Lewiston, ID 83501
Nez Perce – September 30th
Hells Gate Park, 8:30am-2:00pm
5100 Hells Gate Rd, Lewiston, ID 83501
Seattle – October 1st
Town Hall Seattle, 6:00-8:00pm
1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Aren’t able to attend in person? Watch on livestream here.
This event will be livestreamed but in-person attendance is strongly encouraged.
BACKGROUND: The 2023 All Our Relations Snake River Campaign is the latest in more than a dozen totem pole journeys conducted by the project leads over the past 20 years. In 2021, the Red Road Totem Pole Journey to DC, was dedicated to the protection of sacred sites and reached an estimated 1.2 million people over a period of the twenty-day journey to the Capitol (www.redroadtodc.org). The 2023 journey builds upon, strengthens and reaffirms the growing indigenous-led environmental movement across the Pacific Northwest that began with a successful campaign to oppose proposed fossil fuels projects. The fossil fuels campaign included 4 totem pole journeys conducted by the project leads.
