KIYE FM Radio staff members were present at the signing over of the Dworshak National Fish Hatchery on June 16, 2022 in Orofino, Idaho.

Tom Williamson, KIYE Broadcast Tech. and lead singer for Nimiipuu Drum Group Lightning Creek opened up the event with an Honor Song.

The Hatchery was jointly managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Nez Perce Tribe since 2005. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland joined the Nez Perce Tribe and Army Corps of Engineers to transfer fish production and sole responsibility over to the Nez Perce Tribe.

Dworshak National Fish Hatchery is located on the Nez Perce Reservation next to Ahsaka, Idaho near Orofino. The Hatchery produces 2.1 million steelhead, 2.55 million spring Chinook and 500,000 coho salmon annually.

The Nez Perce people, also known as the Nimiipuu, have lived in this region since time immemorial. As the original caretakers of this land this was an historic moment for the Nez Perce.

This transfer was under the Biden-Harris Administration and their commitment to empowering Indigenous communities and supporting Tribal trust responsibility.

Daniel Spaulding, host of The Conversation on KIYE did a special program on the event. Jaime Pinkham and Kayeloni Scott shared some words on the event. You can listen to the program under “The Conversation” tab on the KIYE website.