Portland, Oregon
- Rebecca Miles,
Nez Perce tribal member, and official, was selected by her treaty
tribal officials to lead the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
(CRITFC) 2009-2010 officer team as its chair. Miles election this
morning makes her one of the youngest commissioners to serve in the
position.
Rebecca Miles, Chairwoman, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission “I am honored to serve at this table,” Miles said in
her acceptance address to the commissioners this morning. “I
look at this table as a family, we rely on each other and to have
a woman in this position shows the true state of the tribes. At
one time it wasn’t necessary to have a woman serve in these
roles but today it takes everyone. It’s my goal to move CRITFC
forward; protecting our sovereignty and exercising our treaty reserved
fishing rights.”
Miles has accepted leadership roles early in her career having
been elected as the Nez Perce Tribe General Council Chairman at
the age of 27 where she served four years before being elected in
May 2004 to the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee (NPTEC). Miles
is a current member of NPTEC and the first woman and youngest person
to serve as chair for NPTEC. She has a reputation as a problem solver
and is a strong advocate for natural resource issues, working extensively
on the Snake River Basin adjudication, endangered species recovery
and habitat restoration, and treaty reserved rights.
Miles is the third consecutive female chair, succeeding N. Kathryn
“Kat” Brigham (Umatilla) and Fidelia Andy (Yakama).
She will serve in dual roles as active member of the NPTEC and as
commission chair.
“It’s been an amazing year,” said Brigham. “We’ve
come a long way but there is more work to be done. The commission
is in good hands and I’m confident that Chairwoman Miles will
continue to protect the tribes’ treaty rights and treaty protected
resources.”
Retiring Chair Brigham presided over CRITFC during a year that
saw a change in Administration, restoration of Pacific Salmon Treaty
funds and working with the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
on a unified approach to protecting tribal and tribal treaty rights.
“I was familiar with Kat and her ability to lead before
I was elected to NPTEC,” said Miles. “To come here and
serve along side her and to work with her has been a true honor.”
Bruce Jim (Warm Springs) was elected vice-chair, Fidelia Andy (Yakama)
was elected secretary and Kat Brigham (Umatilla) was elected treasurer.
The 2009-2010 officers represent the third consecutive year that
three out of the four officer positions have been held by women.
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About CRITFC
The Portland-based Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission is
the technical support and coordinating agency for fishery management
policies of the Columbia River Basin's four treaty tribes: the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes
of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes
and Bands of the Yakama Nation and the Nez Perce Tribe.
CRITFC, formed in 1977, employs biologists, other scientists, public
information specialists, policy analysts and administrators who work
in fisheries research and analyses, advocacy, planning and coordination,
harvest control and law enforcement. |
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