What good are #TreatyRights if the fish are poisoned?
Monday, July 14, 2025
By George Ochenski, Daily Montanan
"By virtually any measure, the #ConfederatedSalishKootenai Tribal Nation is an incredible success story against all odds. Forcibly removed from their homeland in the Bitterroot Valley, despite not having waged war against the white settlers or army, their own '#TrailOfTears' brought them to the Flathead Valley to live within the boundaries of the vastly reduced lands they retained in the #HellgateTreatyOf1855.
"Although the #HellgateTreaty is widely regarded as one of the best treaties signed by any of the nation’s #IndigenousPeople, even land supposedly reserved for the exclusive habitation of the #SalishKootenai was opened to purchase by non-tribal #settlers by the #DawesAct of 1887.
"The act’s intentions were to allocate reservation lands the tribes already owned to individual families as private property and, as part of the 'civilization' of #NativeAmericans, it required tribal members to register with the federal government to receive their 'allotment.'
"The entire debacle was part of the #AllotmentAndAssimilationEra from 1887 to 1934. Simply put, the federal government’s plan was to force Native Americans to be 'assimilated' into #EuropeanAmerican culture.
"Importantly, any reservation lands not allocated to tribal members was deemed
'surplus' land and opened to purchase by non-tribal settlers. This excursion into #ReservationLands was further exacerbated by the ability of tribal members to sell their allotment parcels to non-tribal members.
"The fracturing of the Salish-Kootenai’s tribal lands through sales to non-tribal members continues to cause serious problems today, including the long and on-going battle to retain their #water, #hunting and #fishing #TreatyRights.
"Article III of the Hellgate Treaty could not be more clear regarding the Tribe’s fishing rights: 'The exclusive right of taking fish in all the streams running through or bordering said reservation is further secured to said Indians; as also the right of taking fish at all usual and accustomed places…'
"Yet, just last month the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribal Nation issued a very serious warning to tribal members regarding the fish they have treaty rights to catch because they are poisoned.
CSKT Fish Consumption Advisory
"The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes issued a fish consumption advisory on June 24, 2025, warning tribal citizens not to eat fish due to the presence of Polychlorinated biphenyls (#PCBs), #dioxins and #furans at levels deemed unsafe for humans: Source: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
"The #FishConsumptionAdvisory urges 'all tribal members to avoid consuming all species and sizes of fish harvested from the lower Clark Fork River from the Bitterroot River near Missoula to the Flathead River near Paradise. Recent testing has confirmed the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins and furans in fish at levels that are unsafe for consumption by Tribal peoples. It is also advisable to avoid consuming rainbow trout and northern pike harvested from the Bitterroot River and the upper Clark Fork River above the Bitterroot River to Rock Creek, and, to avoid consuming rainbow trout from the Blackfoot River.
"As the Advisory explains: 'These contaminants pose a health risk to all fish consumers, and an even greater health risk to the most sensitive members of the Tribal population including women of child bearing age, pregnant nursing women, and young children. These contaminants have been linked to negative health effects in the immune, and nervous systems and may be associated with birth defects…PCBs and dioxins are classified as probable and definite #HumanCarcinogens, respectively.'
"So what good are treaty fishing rights if you can’t eat the fish because they’re poisoned? Are they really 'rights' — or is this just another in our nation’s long and shameful history of abrogating its treaties with Native Americans?
"Moreover, #Montana’s poison fish affect us all. Just as our government has failed the Salish-Kootenai, they have likewise failed to uphold our rights to the 'swimmable/fishable waters' guaranteed by the #CleanWaterAct — because no one, tribal or non-tribal, is immune to poisoned fish."
Since January there have been 757 settler attacks on Palestinians or their properties, which is a 13 percent increase on the same period last year.
At least 964 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023, by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
Illegal Israeli settlements
Israel is resuming plans to build in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank – a move that would sever the north from the south.
The plan involves the construction of 3,412 housing units across 12 square kilometres (4.6 square miles), north and west of the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, which is illegal under international law.
https://www.europesays.com/?p=2245153 Israeli Jews accused by clerics of attacking Christian sites in W. Bank #ArabChristians #Israel #jerusalem #settlers #WestBank
Israeli settlers set up tents, uproot olive trees in West Bank
(approximately 1,500 olive saplings)
Having myself been assaulted more than once and almost murdered by #settlers in the #WestBank, my heart goes out to this grieving family, and my condemnation pours out onto the followers of the radical #Kahanist and #ReligiousZionist ideologies in Israel.
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/12/g-s1-77345/israeli-settlers-u-s-citizen-death-west-bank
US Citizen beaten to death by mob of Israeli #settlers in #Gaza violence . Family said in a statement Saif Musallat "was brutally beaten to death by Israeli settlers while he was protecting his family’s land from settlers who were attempting to steal it...We demand justice.”
The US State Department said "out of respect for the family...we have no comment".
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/12/g-s1-77345/israeli-settlers-u-s-citizen-death-west-bank
Israeli settler violence in the WestBank
Data as of January 2025.
Israeli settlers torch Palestinian olive trees near Nablus
Israeli settlers set fire to large areas of agricultural land in the Palestinian village of Duma, south of Nablus, destroying hundreds of olive trees.
@palestine
#WestBank
#agriculture
#OliveTrees
#settlers
#news
Israeli settlers establish new illegal outpost near Jericho in West Bank
Settlers operate as unofficial arms of the Israeli government backed by weapons, public funding, and a permissive legal framework, while impoverished Bedouin communities are choked by restrictions.
As of the end of 2024, approximately 770,000 Israeli settlers lived in the West Bank, across 180 illegal settlements and 256 outposts, including 138 classified as agricultural or pastoral.
#israel #palestine : #war / #gaza / #warprofiteers / #settlers / #complicity
„A UN expert has named over 60 companies, including major arms manufacturers and technology firms, in a report alleging their involvement in supporting Israeli settlements and military actions in Gaza, which she called a “genocidal campaign”.
Italian human rights lawyer Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, compiled the report (…).“
@palestine
#WestBank
#Settlers #riots
Here's the motivation for the settlers rioting:
"Palestinian journalist Azzam Abu al-Adas said that settlers are waging an ‘uprising’ against the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank, demanding more freedom in attacks against Palestinians"
"Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has reached unprecedented levels in 2025"
https://thecradle.co/articles/katz-to-hold-urgent-meeting-on-settler-attacks-against-israeli-army
#WestBank
#Settlers #riots
@palestine
"Dozens of Israeli settlers torched a security site and clashed with the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank late Sunday, deepening a growing internal rift within "Israel" amid rising settler violence against Palestinians"
The article doesn't really say what caused this, but it is good news that IOF and settlers are turning on each other. Really good news. I hope it spreads.
#israel #palestine : #war / #gaza / #westbank / #settlers / #violence / #impunity / #idf / #complicity / #annexation
„While global attention focused on the conflict between Israel and Iran, Jewish extremists intensified their attacks on Palestinian villages. On Wednesday in Kafr Malik, the Israeli army killed three civilians after 'stone-throwing' incidents.“
"Armed Israeli settlers attack Palestinians in West Bank village of Shuqba" [ ± 1-3 min]
by MiddleEastEye
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7E62o5atDC8
Quote by MEE:
"27 jun, 2025
Armed Israeli settlers launched an attack on Palestinians in the village of Shuqba, located west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, an assault which the Palestinians made sure to film despite being attacked.
The incident is part of a growing pattern of settler violence in the West Bank, which is considered occupied territory under international law that deems Israeli settlements there illegal. Local sources report property damage and injuries among villagers, as calls mount for international intervention to halt settler attacks."
#NeverAgain #STOPtheGenocide
#JUSTICEforHindRajab #JUSTICEforRifaatRadwan
#LIFEfor#Netanyahu#Gallant#Gvir#Smotrich
Israeli settlers are levelling land and bulldozing olive trees on the outskirts of the town of Aqraba, located southeast of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 27, 2025
#Westbank #Settlers #KafrMalik #Ramallah
"Israeli settlers attack Palestinians: At least three killed in the town of Kafr Malik" [0:43 min]
by Al Jazeera English
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYbE5DUUNEQ
Quote by AJE:
"Jun 26, 2025
In the occupied West Bank, at least three Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers in an attack on the town of Kafr Malik near Ramallah. More than 100 settlers stormed the town and set homes and cars on fire. The Palestinian Red Crescent says at least seven people were injured after being shot by settlers. Witnesses say the Israeli military protected the settlers and fired live rounds at Palestinians."
#NeverAgain #STOPtheGenocide
#JUSTICEforHindRajab #JUSTICEforRifaatRadwan
#LIFEfor#Netanyahu#Gallant#Gvir#Smotrich