Billy Frank Jr. was arrested in 1945, at age 14, for fishing on the Nisqually River that he and his people knew and loved as theirs. And then he spent the next 30 years fighting for justice.
Justice came in 1974 with the Boldt Decision, which restored to the federally recognized tribes the right to fish as they had been doing for more than a century. Since then, Frank continued advocating for tribal fishing rights and protection of natural resources, including salmon.
The news of his passing earlier today came as a shock to associates and friends who said he had been actively working and attending meetings as chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission all of last week.
His long fight for justice and environmental preservation included fish-ins, protests, lawsuits, more than 50 arrests, and overcoming personal tragedies.
In March 2011, in honor of his 80th birthday, Salmon Defense, a non-profit organization, established the Billy Frank Jr. Salmon Forever Fund to “honor and create permanence and action to the vision and work of Billy Frank Jr.”
Billy Frank Jr. received numerous awards in his lifetime, including the Common Cause Award for Human Rights Efforts, the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism, the American Indian Distinguished Service Award, the 2006 Wallace Stegner Award, and the Washington State Environmental Excellence Award.
The Washington House Democrats are saddened by the passing of a giant, but we join people throughout our state and nation in celebrating Billy Frank Jr.’s legacy of service to nature, personal courage, and commitment to justice.
Read more:
Statement from Governor Jay Inslee
Statement from Senator Patty Murray
Statement from Senator Maria Cantwell
Statement from Congressman Derek Kilmer
Statement from Congressman Adam Smitm
Statement from Former Congressman Norm Dicks
Statement from Cynthia Iyall, Chair of Nisqually Indian Tribe
Progressive Pulse: America has lost a giant
Seattle Times: Billy Frank Jr., Nisqually elder who fought for treaty rights, dies
Seattle PI: Billy Frank Jr.: Appreciating a Northwest civil rights legend
Spokesman Review: Billy Frank, tribal rights advocate, dies