The Washington state office that helps secure grant funding for outdoor projects has hired someone to coordinate with Native American tribes.

Steve Jackson has more.

Spokane tribal citizen Dawn Pullin is the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office’s first tribal affairs director.

Pullin has a varied resume working with the Spokane Tribe, and recently served as a tribal liaison for the Washington State Patrol.

In her new role, Pullin says she will have a chance to work closely with Washington tribes to find funding for various projects.

“I’m going to take my lead from the tribe, like what does the tribe need from me? And how can we communicate and collaborate in consultation and work together and ensure that tribal sovereignty is upheld.”

She says tribal priorities include salmon recovery projects, which is a big part of the state agency’s mission.

Additionally, she says tribes could benefit from funding for recreation projects, such trails and parks.

Pullin is studying a list of past grants the Recreation and Conservation Office secured for tribes to determine what future projects could benefit from funding.

Victor Joseph, Chief of the Tanana Chiefs Council and member of the Gravel to Gravel board, signs the MOU agreement in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Jill Fratis)

A signing ceremony took place last week in Anchorage, Alaska between tribes and federal agencies to work together to address the collapse of salmon.

And as Jill Fratis from our flagship station KNBA reports, the history-making agreement was a trail blazing event.

It was held in downtown Anchorage during the Alaska Tribal Unity Gathering.

More than two years ago, U.S. Department of the Interior leaders heard from Alaska Native tribes about the salmon collapses, their impacts on communities and cultures, and the need for immediate and lasting action by the federal government.

More than 100 tribes as well as federal agencies discussed co-stewardships, where both Traditional Knowledge and western science were brought to the table to come up with a solution for the devastating impacts to the salmon population.

During the hour-long discussion, multiple people spoke of the long road hundreds of tribes and communities face.

Vivian Korthuis is from Emmonak and is the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Village Council Presidents.

She is on the Gravel to Gravel board, and says that with the combined forces of the tribes in Alaska, as well as federal agencies, they are sure to make a big impact.

“If we had an initiative where there was only one leader, the feds or in our case, the tribes do it alone, it wouldn’t work. We know that. Those of us that are sitting up here are working on behalf of every single community, every single Tribe every single family, every single individual that has been touched by the salmon crisis in western Alaska.”

Korthius says that in recent years, the consistent decline in salmon becomes more devastating each year.

“What I believe, is that this is really a true humanitarian crisis. We don’t have salmon to put away in our freezers. It’s unthinkable that we have the third largest river in, the Yukon river in this nation, and we have no salmon to put away. It’s mind boggling.”

Brian Ridley is Chief of the Tanana Chiefs Conference.

“It’s really a lot about salmon habitat restoration, and so, trying to make sure that the salmon have good areas to spawn in across Alaska, and that we have a healthy environment for the salmon to be able to come back to, in an effort to try to get them to come back to how they once were, you know, 20, 30, 40 years ago. “

The board will meet regularly throughout the next few years to discuss more solutions of the salmon crisis.

(Courtesy Native American College Fair / Instagram)

And October 21st marks the 12th annual Native American College Fair.

Hosted at the Minnesota History Center, more than 40 colleges from across the U.S. will be on-site to discuss higher education opportunities with Native students and their families.

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