The award-winning documentary film Fish War chronicles the era when the state of Washington made it illegal for tribes to fish for salmon in their usual and accustomed places, and the tribes' ensuing fight to exercise their treaty-reserved fishing rights.
A landmark court case in 1974 would affirm the tribes' treaty rights and establish them as co-managers of the resource, but the fate of salmon in the Pacific Northwest is now threatened by the impacts of climate change and land-use decisions.
Local conservation and environmental stewardship groups are sponsoring a free screening of Fish War in partnership with the Lincoln Theatre to acknowledge this chapter in history and support discussions about how we can collectively preserve and protect salmon and our shared environment into the future.
The health of the Skagit River -- the largest river draining into the Puget Sound and home to five historically abundant species of Pacific salmon, as well as steelhead -- is a critical component of sustaining the Northwest's salmon resources, culture, and economy.
A panel discussion / Q&A will be held after the film.
Sponsored by:
Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group
Skagit Land Trust
Skagit Watershed Council
Washington Native Plant Society - Salal Chapter
Skagit Valley College
The Lincoln Theatre
Admission is free to all; donations are gratefully accepted.