Klamath River people rally at PacifiCorp 

by Klamath-Salmon Media Collaborative ( wilriver [at] riseup.net )
Sunday May 6th, 2007  

Karuk, Yurok, Hoopa, and Klamath Tribal members gathered with other Klamath River residents and PacifiCorp ratepayers at the company's headquarters in Portland Friday to advocate for the removal of the lower four dams on the Klamath River .

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This rally was held in solidarity with Tribal members who traveled to Omaha to hold a healing ceremony for the ailing river and attend the shareholders meeting of billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire-Hathaway, the parent coorporation of PacifiCorp. This was the third year Tribal members and other river residents made the journey to Portland to protest the dams. "We are determined like the salmon in our efforts to remove the Klamath Dams. The lack of salmon including the dams is negatively affecting all areas of our life" said one river resident.

PacifiCorp's Klamath River dams are devastating the people of the Klamath. Salmon have not traveled and spawned above the dams since the first was completed in 1917. Klamath Tribal Members have not fished for salmon in their ancestral homeland since. Poor water quality has caused a drastic decline in fish (and specifically salmon) populations. The degraded condition of the river and of the salmon fishery is causing serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity for many Native people on the Klamath River who rely on fishing for subsistence. The loss of fish also leads to destruction of culture for tribes with river/salmon based religions and ceremonies. The Klamath once had the third largest commercial fishery on the west coast, now Native and non-native fishermen have to deal with low numbers of fish and ocean closures. Many people on the Klamath River live below the poverty line because of the declining economy. PacifiCorp is responsible for this disgusting environmental injustice, it's modern day genocide, people on the river are really hurting and its scary to think what the fish populations will look like in 10-15 years as negotiations with PacifiCorp for dam removal continue.

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http://www.klamathnews.org
For more information and previous press releases log on to: http://www.karuk.us/press%20&%20campaigns/press.php
Also see http://www.ferc.gov

http://klamathmedia.org  

Annelia Norris speaks at rally

by Klamath-Salmon Media Collaborative Sunday May 6th, 2007 10:07 PM

annelia.jpg

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Source:  http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/05/06/18410905.php