Hunting, Fishing, and Native Sovereignty

With Humanities Washington

Aaron Paul Whitefoot, Yakama hunter and fisherman, discusses the history and tensions that linger from the 1855 treaty.

The Treaty of 1855 is a document signed by Native American leaders, Washington Territory’s Governor Isaac Stevens, and Oregon Territory’s Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Joel Palmer. Palmer and Stevens pushed for “exploitative treaties” by “cajoling and threatening the delegates,” according to historians at the National Park Service. Despite resistance from Yakama Chief Kamiakin, Nations were confined to reservations and other areas were opened for white settlement, including “ceded land.” While the Yakamas could continue to hunt and use this land, the treaty removed the Yakamas’ exclusive use of it, granting wide access of the land to white settlers.

Northwest treaty rights continue to be frequently discussed in communities and courtrooms.  While exercising the hunting and fishing rights reserved for him by the treaty, Whitefoot often clashes with state game wardens trying to implement state laws on ceded land. Learn how this struggle is emblematic of the larger history of colonialism, sovereignty, the value of nature, and traditional cultures. 

About the Presenter
Aaron Paul Whitefoot (he/him) graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University. Whitefoot served as a tradition bearer in the Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program from the Center for Washington Cultural Traditions, teaching hunting, fishing, tying nets, and cutting and processing elk. He runs the Yakama Nation Hunters and Gatherers Facebook page and a YouTube channel where he demonstrates his craft.

Event Partner
Humanities Washington is a nonprofit organization dedicated to opening minds and bridging divides by creating spaces to explore different perspectives. For more about Humanities Washington, visit humanities.org.