The R.U.N. in Unity Convening is the fifth annual salmon and orca convening was organized by the Nez Perce Tribe and hosted by the Tulalip Tribes. The two-day summit brought together more than a dozen tribes from Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada, and at least 15 allied NGOs to connect and unify voices, and develop and implement best practices for the protection and preservation of water, orca, and salmon in the Northwest. Tribal protocols and presentations, song and ceremony, and panel discussions filled both days.
The SOS team is deeply moved and appreciative for the sharing of wisdom and strength that took place at the convening, and the opportunity to listen and learn from their traditional ecological and cultural knowledge of the region. We strongly encourage you to listen to, or revisit, the thoughtful discussions that took place at R.U.N in Unity Convening.
See below for the recordings of R.U.N in Unity Convening and the event agenda.
Watch the R.U.N in Unity Convening video by Children of the Setting Sun Production.
- Opening remarks by Kayeloni Scott (Spokane and Nez Perce Nations), Communications Consultant at Nez Perce Tribe and River Protection Communications Director at American Rivers
- Blessing by Jefferson Greene, (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs), Executive Director of the Columbia River Institute for Indigenous Development Foundation
- Welcome by Amy Cordalis (Yurok), Executive Director of Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation
- Litigation Update by Chairman Shannon Wheeler (Nez Perce)
- Tribal Protocols and Testimony
- Shoshone Paiute Tribes
- Nooksack Indian Tribe
- Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
- Suquamish Tribe
- Spokane Tribe of Indians
- Peggen Frank (Nez Perce Lobbyist and Executive Director of Salmon Defense)
- Closing remarks by Kayeloni Scott
Day Two (Part 1) | November 2, 2023
- Blessing from Shoshone Paiute Tribes
- Welcome by Fawn Sharp (Quinault), President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
- NGO Opening (Part 1):
- Ben Jealous, Executive director of the Sierra Club
- Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers
Day Two (Part 2) | November 2, 2023
- NGO Opening (Part 2):
- Dr. Mel Lewis, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice at American Rivers
- Collin O'Mara, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation
- Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited
- NW Legislative Salmon Champions: Governor Jay Inslee and Senator Patty Murray
- Energy Panel
- Moderator: Aja DeCoteau (Yakama), Executive Director of CRITFC
- Panelists:
- Nancy Hirsh, Executive Director of NW Energy Coalition
- Karl Dye, CEO of TRIDEC
- Rob Lothrop, Policy Development/Litigation Support Manager at CRITFC
- Irrigation Panel
- Moderator: Lisa McShane, Principal at Blue Spruce Strategies
- Panelists:
- James Kraft, Executive Director of Washington Water Trust
- Blaine Meek, Farm Manager at AgReserves, Inc.
- Transportation Presentation
- Presenters:
- Tanya Riordan, Policy & Advocacy Director at Save Our wild Salmon
- Lisa McShane, Principal at Blue Spruce Strategies
- Ahmer Nizam, Director of Environmental Services Office at Washington State Department of Transportation
- Presenters:
- Tribal Speaker
- Chairman Kris Klabsch Peters from Squaxin Island Tribe
- Tribal Women Panel
- Moderator: Kayeloni Scott (Spokane and Nez Perce Nations)
- Panelists:
- Alyssa Macy (Warm Springs), CEO of Washington Conservation Action
- Carol Evans (Spokane), Retired Spokane Tribe Chairwoman
- R. Kim Hartwig, MD (Nez Perce), Medical Director at Nimiipuu Health
- Guest Speakers
- Bob Ferguson, Washington State Attorney General
- Dean Hall (The Wild Cure Way)
- Business Impacts Panel
- Moderator: Chairman Shannon Wheeler (Nez Perce)
- Panelists:
- Jay Julius (Lummi) President of Se’Si’Le
- Ashley Nicole Lewis (Quinault Indian Nation), Owner of Bad Ash Outdoors
- Lauren McCullough, Co-Manager at OARS
- Youth Panel
- Moderator: Chantel Greene (Nez Perce), CEO of Xexus Greene Energy, LLC
- Panelists:
- Jalisco Miles (Nez Perce)
- Free Borsey (Lummi), Children of the Setting Sun
- Lilly Wilson, Youth Salmon Protectors
- Maanit Goel, WA Youth Ocean & River Conservation Alliance
- Tribal Men Panel
- Moderator: Ashton Picard (Nez Perce), Council Chaplain
- Panelists:
- Orca Panel
- Moderator: Lynda Mapes, Author and Reporter at Seattle Times
- Panelists:
- Dr. Deborah Giles, Science & Research Director at Wild Orca
- Hannah Thompson, Director of Advocacy & Mission Adv. at Northwest Animal Rights Network
- Freddie Lane (Lummi), Community Activist & Artist
- Salmon Panel
- Moderator: Chairman Shannon Wheeler (Nez Perce)
- Panelists:
- Dave Johnson (Navajo), Manager at the Nez Perce Tribe's Department of Fisheries Resources Management
- Fawn Sharp (Quinault), President of National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
- Phil Rigdon (Yakama), Superintendent at the Yakama Natural Resources
“The salmon can’t get out of the river to march the halls of Congress. They can’t get out of the river to go to court. We have to be their voice and their advocates and champions.” — Fawn Sharp (Quinault), president of the National Congress of American Indians, quoting the late Billy Frank Jr. (Nisqually)
“What you all are doing there is organizing. You are taking power from other structures and putting it behind the sovereignty, the salmon, the orca, the Indigenous Peoples and figuring out how do we unite that voice into one to advance our common cause. That’s the movement.”
— Amy Cordalis (Yurok), executive director of Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group
“As I was watching Nooksack Nation up here, I started to get emotional. I was just thinking about how at a certain point in history the goal was to erase Tribal Nations and yet here we are, having retained these traditions. We are so resilient. Knowing that, it seems impossible that we could lose our relative salmon.” — Kayeloni Scott (Spokane and Nez Perce Nations), communications for the Nez Perce Tribe and American Rivers, R.U.N. in Unity organizer
