“We have one choice – dams – or Salmon.”

Boy, the Lummi and Yakama folks brought everything right back down to Earth, didn’t they?  Literally.

I gotta tell ya, upon further review, I find myself quite affected by their message from Monday, now recognized in Portland as “Indigenous People’s Day”.

We heard these tribal leaders plead with onlookers saying, (paraphrasing) “Salmon is a crop we need no seeds for”.

I mean.  That’s pretty much true.

These tribal leaders are saying we need only to destroy the dams on the Columbia River….

Alright – so yeah, no one is foolish enough to predict or bet on THAT ever happening, but…I just have to say…the way these folks put it…I think I’m forced to face a hard truth.  (Again, the way I interpret it)

The way we’re doing things right now to keep the lights on…will probably kill all the Columbia River salmon, probably sooner rather than later.

Perhaps in my lifetime.

Hm.

Native American culture has pretty much always been deeply connected to and influenced by Earth’s natural resources.  So, who am I to question their wisdom about it??

We hear political messages from Native American voices from time to time, but…I can’t help but think that many of us don’t really ever HEAR them.

I really heard them this time and it’s got me thinking…