Invited Speakers 2025

Emily Washines

Scholar
Website: Native Friends

“Water: the Giver of Life” Columbia River Indigenous Voices and Connecting to Place

 

The keynote talk by Emily Washines will be followed by an interactive panel discussion organized by the Confluence Project.

 

Topics covered: Reciprocity, Treaty Rights, Indigenous Ecological and Cultural Knowledge, Sovereignty

 

At a time of compounding environmental challenges to two northwest lynchpins, the Columbia River and salmon, all efforts to care for them are critical. Centering Indigenous voices of the Columbia River system, this story-driven session brings a powerful lineup of speakers to share personal beliefs, cultural ways and professional experience that will help motivate and deepen our capacity to care for the natural systems and kin that support us all.Topics will span from the Fish Wars of the 1960’s and 70’s, Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge, the power of historic enemies standing side by side, and the responsibility of being a warrior for Mother Earth and her children.

 

• Keynote Speaker, Emily Washines (Yakama/Cree/Skokomish), is a scholar. Poignant, with the gifts of creativity, humor, and puns. She will give insights on “Adventures of People and Fish.” Emily said, “Many examples illuminate how Natives’ eyes shine bright when talking about fish. From a Yakama perspective, that light in our eyes connects to the water, the silver scales of the fish as they swim upstream so they can blend with the water to camouflage from predators.”
• Panelist Wilbur Slockish, Jr., hereditary Klickitat River Chief, says, “Water is the giver of life. If we don’t have any water we have no life.” Wilbur’s words go far beyond this basic fact, they speak to what it is to fully live vs. simply exist.
• Panelist James Holt, Sr. (Nez Perce) shares, “My family lifestyle is one of tradition. I was taught to hunt and fish early on, to be a provider.”
• In thinking about traditional weaving and food gathering, Panelist Emma Johnson (Cowlitz) said, “What a way to honor our ancestors who fought so hard for us to be here today.”

 

Emily Washines, MPA and scholar is an enrolled Yakama Nation tribal member with Cree and Skokomish lineage. Her blog, Native Friends, focuses on history and culture. Building understanding and support for Native Americans is evident in her films, writing, speaking, and exhibits. Her research topics include the Yakama War, women’s rights, traditional knowledge, resource management, fishing rights, and food sovereignty. Her publications include “Natural Restoration and Cultural Knowledge of the Yakama Nation,” and “War Cry: Will Crossing Historical Boundaries in Indian Wars help Yakama Women?” Emily hosts the War Cry Podcast. She is a board member on the Museum of Culture and Environment and Columbia Riverkeeper. She is an Instructor at Yakima Valley College and The Evergreen State College. She lives on the Yakama reservation with her husband and three children.

 

Wilbur Slockish, Jr., hereditary Klickitat River Chief, is a member of the Yakama Nation. A commissioner of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, Wilbur has lived along the river his entire life. As a boy, he loaded up sacks of fish for the Native fishermen at Celilo Falls and was later one of several arrested for “illegally” fishing and selling fish in a case known as “Salmon Scam”. He continues to witness and live the impact of decisions on tribal fishers in the Columbia River basin and fights to protect Columbia River Tribal treaty rights and the gifts from Creator.

 

 

James Holt, Sr., is a member of the Nez Perce Tribe. He was raised and lives a traditional lifestyle on the Nez Perce Reservation, in Lapwai, Idaho. James acknowledges, “I was given the belief that my relationship with the natural world is sacred, and I treat it as such.” 27 years of environmental public policy experience, with stints on the Nez Perce Tribe’s Fish & Wildlife Commission and Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee, has provided James with much knowledge, perspective, and heart. James has worked as the Water Resources Director for the Tribe and currently works for their Wildlife Division, administering to the Tribe’s on-reservation wildlife conservation areas. He continues to live as he was taught and gives that wisdom and knowledge to tribal youth.

 

Emma Johnson, a Cowlitz Tribal member, received her MS in Sociocultural Anthropology at Portland State University where she is currently the Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK) Coordinator. In this role, Emma focuses on community engagement, partnership development, and cultivating a sense of belonging for students. Emma is extremely passionate about place-based education and connecting people to the landscape by introducing them to plant and animal relatives. She feels at home in the world of tribal food sovereignty and strives to support the reclamation and restoration of traditional foodways in Indian Country.

Amy Bowers Cordalis

Founder and Executive Director
Website: Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group

Klamath Basin: Year Zero

 

2025 is Year Zero on the Klamath River, marking the first year of a dam-free free-flowing River following the historical removal of four dams on the mid-Klamath concluded in the fall of 2024. Year Zero presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe and support the River’s rebirth through the restoration of over 450 miles of habitat, the return of traditional ecological ecosystem functions, and the repopulation of salmon in the Upper Basin. The Klamath is moving toward a new system of management guided by Indigenous knowledge and leadership coupled with modern science and sustainable business practices. This talk will discuss the values, relationships, and details informing best practices and lessons learned from Klamath Dam Removal. It will outline goals and priorities for the future, emphasizing nature-based solutions that ensure the River and its surrounding ecosystems are revitalized for generations to come, restoring balance between ecosystem, species, and humans.

 

Amy Bowers Cordalis is a devoted advocate for Indigenous rights and environmental restoration. A member of the Yurok Tribe, she is a fisherwoman, attorney, and mother rooted in the traditions of her people. As Founder and Executive Director of Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group, Amy leads efforts to support tribes in protecting their sovereignty, lands, and waters, including the historic Klamath Dam Removal project—one of the world’s largest river restoration and dam removal initiatives. She was the former general counsel for the Yurok Tribe and an attorney at the Native American Rights Fund. Amy has earned the honors of being a Time 100 climate leader and was named a Champions of the Earth award, the UN’s highest environmental honor.