May 5 is a day to recognize Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and to call attention to ongoing gaps in safety and justice. Native women face disproportionately high rates of violence—about 4 in 5 experience it in their lifetime, and in some regions homicide rates are more than 10 times the national average. Despite this, many cases remain underreported or unresolved. Wearing red today honors those who are missing, represents visibility for lives too often overlooked, and serves as a reminder that communities continue to demand accountability and change.
#mmiwawareness #mmip #missingandmurderedindigenouswomen #native #nativetiktok
Lottie Sam (Outreach)
In commemoration of Earth Day, tribal members from the Yakama Nation and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) share fisheries perspectives worth carrying year-round. In the third and final video covering policy, outreach, and technical aspects of tribal fisheries, Yakama Nation Fisheries Education and Outreach Specialist Lottie Sam brings a unique perspective — balancing her fisheries outreach work with the responsibility and honor of serving as a Toppenish Longhouse Gatherer. 🌍🐟🏞️🎣
#EarthDay #TribalFisheries #CRITFC #ColumbiaRiver #IndigenousVoices
Rodger “Rod” Begay (Technical)
In commemoration of Earth Day, tribal members from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and Yakama Nation share fisheries perspectives worth carrying year-round.
In the second of three videos covering policy, outreach, and technical aspects of tribal fisheries, Yakama Nation Fisheries Bio-Tech Rodger “Rod” Begay shares what protecting the river means from a technical standpoint — through the hands-on work of a fisheries technician in the field. Stay tuned for one more video from Yakama Nation Fisheries Education and Outreach Specialist Lottie Sams. 🌍🐟🏞️🎣
#EarthDay #TribalFisheries #CRITFC #ColumbiaRiver #IndigenousVoices
In commemoration of Earth Day, and as the day winds down, take time to listen to these tribal members from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and Yakama Nation who share their fisheries perspectives that are worth carrying year-round.
In the first of three videos covering policy, outreach, and technical aspects of tribal fisheries, CTUIR Board of Trustees Member at Large, CTUIR Fish and Wildlife Chair, and CRITFC Secretary Corinne Sams, also a tribal fisher and community advocate living on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, shares what protecting the river means from a policy standpoint.
Stay tuned for two more videos from Yakama Nation Fisheries Education and Outreach Specialist Lottie Sam and Fisheries Bio-Tech Rodger Begay. 🌍🐟🏞️🎣
#EarthDay #TribalFisheries #CRITFC #ColumbiaRiver #IndigenousVoices
🌍Happy Earth Day 🌎
Remember our covenant with the land and one another. These are values we hold dearly every day, but especially today, as we set aside time to honor and celebrate our mother. 🌱🌍 🪶🫶🏽
#EarthDay #7generations #huckleberries #salmon #roots biggame
Nixyaawii women and girls gather roots on the Umatilla Indian Reservation last week in preparation for the annual Nixyaawii Root Feast, held April 12 at the Mission Longhouse on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
The group dug for roots Wednesday and Thursday, then spent Friday and Saturday, more than 12 hours each day, peeling and preparing the harvest for feast, feeding 350 people on Sunday.
The Root Feast is an annual ceremony expressing gratitude for the return of the First Foods of the Columbia River Plateau Tribes. It was held the same day as the Celilo Salmon Feast, together representing two of the four groups of First Foods; roots, salmon, big game (venison), and berries, each seasonally gathered by Tribal members whose rights are secured and reserved in perpetuity under the Treaty of 1855.
The ceremony began the Sunday before feast, when women and girls who were able moved into the longhouse to live among their work and one another began their days of shared labor, sustained laughter, and deep purpose, honoring both the food and the covenant at the heart of this tradition: that the people will always care for the food, and the food will always care for the people.
This year’s gathering came against a backdrop of growing environmental concern. Oregon’s warm and dry winter left snowpack across the state at less than a quarter of normal, raising fears of water shortages as spring moves into summer.
For the women and girls of the Nixyaawii community, the diminished snowpack is not an abstraction, it is visible in the land they walked to dig, and in the roots they coaxed from drier-than-usual soil. Many of the roots that should be in the beginning phase of their season are already going to seed and indicate a gathering season growing shorter each year. Still, the feast was prepared. The covenant was kept and the people prayed in gratitude and plea for respite from the growing climate crisis.
#nativewomenlead #nativetiktok #indigenous #nixyaawii #firstfoods
The Columbia River Tribes have stewarded Pacific lamprey for thousands of years, long before dams and pollution altered our rivers and pushed this ancient fish toward the margins.
This week, Metro and the Oregon Zoo joined the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission to return this year’s cohort to the Breitenbush River. Tribal-led biology and science is driving this conservation work. We are honored to support it.
Pacific lamprey are 450 million years old, older than dinosaurs, older than trees. We are capable of remarkable things when we work together.
🗣Spread the word, CRITFC’s 2026 Salmon Camp applications are now live! 🙌 Hosted at KahNeeTah by the Warm Springs Tribe 😍
Link in bio
Don’t miss your opportunity to learn about fish science, partake in salmon culture, interact with Warm Springs leaders, and connect with other future change makers from the four Columbia River treaty tribes. 🌊
Open to incoming 6th and 7th grade tribal members and descendants of Yakama, Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Nez Perce Tribes, the deadline for applying is May 4th!!!
🤩😎
#SalmonCamp #WarmSprings #Wykanishpum #KahNeeTah
⏰ Throwback Thursday 📸 August, 1952 - Scaffolds under Rail Road Bridge - Washington side 🌊 🌊 🌊
Photo taken by Raymond Matheny (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Employee).
#Scaffolds #Fishing #CeliloFalls #Dipnetting
Looking for meaningful internship opportunities? 🌱
CRITFC’s Higher Education & Internship programs are designed for Native students and recent graduates ready to gain hands-on experience, build skills, and explore career paths across a variety of fields. Opportunities vary in focus and qualifications—so there’s something for everyone ready to take the next step.
Start your journey today: /for-kids-home/higher-education-internships/
#native #critfc #nativetiktok #indigenous #viral
Columbia River Round Dance for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People planning committee and volunteers, including elder Linda Meanus, gathered on to the Big River with by CRITFC Enforcement officers to shoot an upcoming film project regarding MMIP in tribal communities. Cinematographer LaRonn Katchia and production/sound technician Betty Alcaraz traveled from Portland to shoot the footage for the film being released later this spring by CRITFC. #critfc #columbiariver #MMIP #nativetiktok #nativeart
