Yakama Nation fights to reclaim more than 90K acres from WA state

https://www.cascadepbs.org/indigenous-affairs/2025/01/yakama-nation-fights-reclaim-more-90k-acres-wa-state

Yakama Nation fights to reclaim more than 90K acres from WA state

A lost 1855 treaty map caused the state and settlers to encroach on reservation land. The nation wants it back — but legal hurdles slow the process.

by Maria Parazo Rose / Grist / January 21, 2025

It was barely a choice. In 1855, a time when the ink of border lines on United States maps had scarcely dried, Yakama Chief Kamiakin was told to sign over the land of 14 tribal nations and bands in the Pacific Northwest — or face the prospect of walking “knee deep” in the blood of his people.

Legend has it that, when he put pen to paper, he was so furious he bit through his lip.

By signing, he ceded over 10 million acres across what is now known as Washington state. In return, the Yakama Nation was allowed to live on a reservation one-tenth the size of their ancestral lands, about 100 miles southeast of Seattle.

But the story doesn’t end there. The treaty map was lost for close to 75 years, misfiled by a federal clerk who put it under “M” for Montana.

…

“I’ve always had the opinion that you can never lose if you never stop trying,” said Sharp. “So as long as the Yakama are here, and they live and breathe, they’re going to keep fighting to protect the resources that sustain their lives. And we all benefit from that, everyone, whether you’re a tribal member or not.”

… more … long read …

Grist originally published this article Dec. 20, 2024. Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org. This story was produced with support from Renaissance Journalism’s 2024-2025 LaunchPad Fellowship for NextGen Journalists, and the Nova Institute for Health 2024 Media Fellowship.

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