Editor’s Note: This was written by Lilly Wilson, a Youth Engagement Organizer for ICL. Lilly is an environmental science student at Boise State University and an avid climate activist. She also leads the Youth Salmon Protectors in advocating for the removal of the four lower Snake River dams to save wild salmon and steelhead from extinction, restore orca, and honor Tribal treaties.
When I think of salmon and steelhead, I think of Tribal food sovereignty. Tribes across the Pacific Northwest have relied on salmon since time immemorial, not only as a major food source but as a culture, as family, as economy, as religion. Salmon swim in their veins just as they swim in their rivers.
This month I was able to travel to Coeur d’Alene and connect with tribal members from across the country about the importance of salmon and youth activism, at the Northwest Intertribal Food Sovereignty Summit. Here, I gave a short presentation aiming to engage young people and get them excited about conservation. I spoke about how climate anxiety is real, it is a daunting and heavy feeling. I shared that the solution that I have found to curb climate anxiety is to start advocating for your environment. It can sound big and unapproachable, but I wanted these youth to know that climate action is more accessible now than it has ever been. Something as simple as sharing an educational post on your Instagram story or putting a salmon sticker on your water bottle can not only make you feel like you’ve taken action, but it actually does make a difference.
After my presentation, the Youth Salmon Protectors informational table was flooded with young people. They grabbed handfuls of stickers, filled out postcards to their representatives, and took pamphlets for them and their friends. Knowing that I was able to connect them with an avenue to help their environment and relieve some of their stress was the best feeling in the world! These kids shared with me personal stories passed down through generations, about salmon and dams and the creation of their people.
Working in salmon conservation, and knowing about the importance of these fish to their culture, it is of top priority to ensure all of the actions we are taking for salmon are in the best interest of Pacific Northwest Tribes. It is an honor to know that Youth Salmon Protectors is something that feels accessible to them, and that we are on the right track toward unity of fish and people. To see young people interested in joining our coalition, and knowing that this is something they see potential in, makes me incredibly inspired to continue working on spreading our message: youth are not only the voices of tomorrow, but the voices of today, too. Salmon are heading toward extinction, but not on our watch.
To secure Tribal food sovereignty and security, Tribes need access to their salmon. This means breaching the four lower Snake River Dams. This means honoring Tribal Treaties, supporting the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative, and using your voice. Take action today by reaching out to your elected officials and urging them to speak out in support of salmon and Tribal Food Sovereignty!