Puyallup Tribe
https://traveltips.usatoday.com/fis hing-puy allup-river-washi ngton-state-33028.html
Fish Conservation and Water Pollution
Background Information
- Puyallup Tribe and an environmental nonprofit
American Rivers filed a lawsuit against Electron
Hydro in 2016 because of the river population and
declining fish. This river was named “America’s most
endangered river” in 2016.
- The Treaty Wars, better known as the Indian Wars.
They were getting pushed out of their land, abused,
and murdered by the new settlers.
- War started as a result of the Treaty of Medicine
Creek, among other things the treaty would have:
•Taken 2.4 million acres of prime agricultural
tribal land in return for small monetary
compensation,
•Relocated tribes onto rough reservations,
- Chief Leschi of the Nisqually tribe and others tried to
protest but were not listened to.
- War was a series of small skirmishes that ended with
the capture of Chief Leschi.
- Concessions were made by the US through another
reservation being created but the tribes were still
ultimately forced off their land.
STI Essential Questions
1. How does physical geography affect the distribution, culture, and economic
life of local tribes?
2. What are the ways in which Tribes respond to the threats and outside
pressure to extinguish their cultures and independence? https://www.liveabout.com/climbing-highes t-mountains- 4687996
STI Outcomes for Elementary School
Curriculum Engagement Activities: 1. Understand that over 500 independent tribal nations
1. Learn about salmon life cycle- watch a video about the salmon life cycle, have exist within the United States today and that they
students complete a crossword with the answers to questions they learn during interact with the United States, as well as each other,
the video on a government-to-government basis.
2. Understand how the treaties that Tribal nations
2. Learn about Mt. Rainer and the rivers running off them. Color and Label a entered with the United States government limited
worksheet with the rivers running off Mt. Rainer. Highlight the importance of how their sovereignty.
polluting up stream impacts the entire river. Have a visual representation with
food coloring to show pollution. Can be a container full of water with white strings
inside of it and one drop of the food coloring impacts all the water and dyes all the
strings within the water.
3. Explore the idea of pollution affecting fishing on tribal land. How fishing was in
the past compared to what it is now. Watch a video on how fishing and other
pollutants impact the Puyallup river/ other rivers running off Mt. Rainer, then
answer a worksheet with questions related to the videos.
4. Take a class trip in early March when salmon travel upriver to spawn to the
Puyallup River to watch them.
https://www.metroparkstacoma.org/event/salmonchallenge/
Community Engagement:
Sources
- Mary Rice, Water Quality Specialist: (253)-680-5523 mary.rice@puyalluptribe- 1. Teaching Climate Disobedience: Using the film Necessity in the
nsn.gov Classroom https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/necessity-
- Blake Smith, Fisheries Enhancement Chief: (253)-680-5561 lesson
2. Kelsey Leonard: Why Lakes and Rivers Should Have the Same Rights as
blake.smith@puyalluptribe-nsn.gov Humans (Ted
- Archie Cantrel, Education Liaison l: cantra@puyallup.k12.wa.us 253-840-8852 Talk) https://www.ted.com/talks/kelsey_leonard_why_lakes_and_river
s_should_have_the_same_rights_as_humans/transcript