Title
Special Recognition - Proclamation Recognizing Billy Frank Jr Day
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Recognize March 9, 2024 as Billy Frank Jr Day.
Report
Issue:
Whether to recognize March 9, 2024 as Billy Frank Jr Day.
Staff Contact:
Tobi Hill-Meyer, Diversity Equity Inclusion Program Manager, 360.753.8285
Presenter(s):
Willie Frank III, Chairman,
Antonette Squally, Vice Chairwoman
Chay Squally, 5th Councilwoman
Background and Analysis:
This day recognizes Billy Frank Jr as an instrumental leader in the peaceful protest known as the “Fish Wars” of the 1960’s and 1970’s, where tribal members would exercise their treaty rights despite the risk of jail time, physical assault and seizure of their property.
This year, Washington State commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Boldt Decision, which affirmed the right of Native American Tribes in Washington State to half the catch in their ancestral fishing grounds and made the Tribes co-managers of Washington fisheries along with the state. In 2025 a statue of Billy Frank Jr will represent Washington in the United States Capitol Building.
The legacy of Billy Frank Jr includes a focus on protecting ecosystems and the natural environment. While this proclamation will not have any direct impact on greenhouse gas emissions, it may have a positive influence on the general prioritization of the environment.
Billy Frank Jr and hundreds of other native activists in the Fish Wars stood up against discriminatory treatment by the government for exercising their treaty rights, including jail time and physical assault. Efforts like this are important to honor and remember as current day advocates and activists push for a more equitable future.
Attachments:
Proclamation