Northwest tribes continue to show support for the Standing Rock Sioux Indians and their opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline. Over the weekend, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville delivered hand-smoked salmon and firewood to North Dakota.
Michael Marchand is the Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. He says tribal leadership asked three women from the reservation to deliver 500 salmon they smoked by hand to North Dakota. He says tribal members from the across the region are “shuttling back and forth.”
“A lot of the Colville tribal members and Indians from surrounding tribes, like Yakamas, and the Spokanes and other tribes from the Northwest are going out and doing what they can to make a presence and help support the protest,” said Marchand.
Earlier this year, members of the Standing Rock Sioux staged a protest in opposition of the construction of an oil pipeline in North Dakota. They argue the pipeline would threaten water and cultural resources near their reservation.
With help from the Kalispell tribe, the Colvilles also sent firewood for sweat lodges, cook shacks and to keep demonstrators warm as colder weather settles in. Washington’s Lummi tribe also donated salmon. The Yakama Nation sent a truck-load of fruit and vegetables last month.
