A Washington fisherman was arrested over 50 times for fishing on his ancestral river; his struggle made tribes legal co-managers and protectors of salmon
Billy Frank Jr. fought for Native American fishing rights after his arrest in 1945. Organized fish-ins and protests drew thousands of supporters and celebrity attention. A federal judge ruled in 1974 that tribes were entitled to half the salmon catch. This decision established tribes as co-managers of salmon resources with the state. His persistence reshaped regional natural resource management for generations.
Billy Frank Jr. fought for Native American fishing rights after his arrest in 1945. Organized fish-ins and protests drew thousands of supporters and celebrity attention. A federal judge ruled in 1974 that tribes were entitled to half the salmon catch. This decision established tribes as co-managers of salmon resources with the state. His persistence reshaped regional natural resource management for generations.
