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CRITFC Commissioners

The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission makes decisions by consensus, not by majority. This traditional decision-making process ensures that all involved support all the decisions.
The Fish and Wildlife Committees of the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation, comprise the governing body of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. The four Committees must reach consensus in order for the Commission to act. CRITFC Officers are elected to a one-year term. The chair is selected by the commission from the commissioners representing the tribe whose turn it is to hold the chairmanship. The chairmanship is currently held by the Nez Perce Tribe.

Officers


Chairman Gerald Lewis
Yakama



Mr. Lewis was born in Toppenish, Washington and raised in the small Yakama reservation community of White Swan, Washington. He has fished throughout the usual and accustomed fishing areas of his tribe since he was just a small boy and continues this tradition to today. Mr. Lewis has served on the Commission since he was elected to the Yakama Nation Tribal Council in 2010. In addition to his duty to represent the Yakama Nation on CRITFC, he also serves on the Yakama Nation’s Fish, Wildlife and Law & Order Committee and Culture Committee.

Vice Chairwoman N. Kathryn Brigham
Umatilla


N. Kathryn "Kat" Brigham has served on the Commission since its inception over 32 years ago; most recently serving as the 2008-2009 Commission Chair. She regularly fishes on the Columbia River mainstem with her family. Ms. Brigham also serves as the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and is the Chair of the Fish & Wildlife Committee.


Secretary Joel T. Moffett
Nez Perce


 

Treasurer Bruce Jim
Warm Springs



Bruce Jim has served on the Commission since 2000. Born and raised on the Warm Springs reservation, Mr. Jim has fished in the Columbia and its tributaries his whole life. He also serves on the Warm Springs Off-reservation Fish & Wildlife Committee.


Commission delgations from each tribe

Nez Perce Tribe
headquartered in Lapwai, Idaho


(208) 843-2254
www.nezperce.org


Brooklyn D. Baptiste, Roberta Bisbee, Julia Davis-Wheeler, Larry M. Greene, Dan Kane, Joanna F. Marek, Joel T. Moffett, McCoy Oatman, Allen Slickpoo, Jr, Marie Arthur, Elmer Crow, Eric Holt, Herbert Jackson, Joseph Oatman, Wilfred Scott

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
headquartered in Mission, Oregon

(541) 276-3165
www.umatilla.nsn.us

N. Kathryn Brigham, James Marsh, Mitchell L. Pond, Vince Sohappy, Chris Williams

Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
headquartered in Warm Springs, Oregon

(541) 553-3257
www.warmsprings.com

Leslie Bill, Bruce Jim, Rafael Queahpama, Ryan Smith, Emerson Squiemphen, Donnie Winishut Sr

Yakama Nation
headquartered in Toppenish, Washington

(509) 865-5121

Gerald Lewis, Richard George, Johnny Jackson, Sam Jim, Jr, Virgil Lewis, Sr, Wilbur Slockish, Jr

Preamble, CRITFC Constitution and Bylaws

We, the Indians of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, recognize that our fisheries are a basic and important natural resource of vital concern to the Indians of these states and that the conservation of this resource is dependent upon effective and progressive management. And that it is further recognized that federal court decisions have specifically established that the tribes have treaty rights to an equitable share of the Columbia Basin fishery resource. We further believe that by unity of action we can best accomplish these things, not only for the benefit of our own people but for all of the people of the Pacific Northwest.

 

 

 

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