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David Sohappy (1925-1991) Native American activist who paid a critical part in fishing rights movement along the Columbia River in  1960-1980s. His actions and willingness to stand up for his rights put a focus on the ancestral rights of  Native Peoples with regards to treaty rights and fisheries. The resulting court cases lead to the “Belloni  Decision ” established federal recognition of tribal fishing rights and tribal sovereignty. Later, he was convicted of illegally selling 345 salmon to federal agents in Oregon.

Early life
David Sohappy was born into the “Wanapum” subgroup of the Yakama Tribe, in south-central Washington on April 25, 1925. The Yakama had  a historic tie to fishing along the Columbia River, and the  “Wanapum”,  known as the “River People ”, was central to  these ties. Salmon plays a central role in the tribes’ understanding of its place in the world. Sohappy  was raised to be an active member of the tribe and to defend its belief and practices. His family raised  him in the Washat religion and  taught him the Sahaptin language. After serving in the  Army Air Corps, Sohappy returned to the Yakama Reservation. He married his wife, Myra, in 1945.

Native Americans had an historic tie to salmon fishing on the Columbia River. The practices predate the  European expansion into the Northwest and became a central focus of life. The damming of the  Columbia River in the 1930s by the federal government dramatically disrupted this way of life and  inflected tremendous cultural harm on Yakama ways of life.

In the 1960s, the tension between the tribes and the state and federal government increased. The  governments felt that they controlled the fisheries and the local tribe felt that their treaty rights  overrode the governmental control. David Sohappy paid a major part in this issue. In 1968, Sohappy led  an action to sue the Oregon Fish Commissioner McKee Smith to stop harming native fishing rights as  described in the Yakama Treaty of 1855. The tribes prevailed in the courts with Federal Judge Robert  Belloni, ruled in favor of the tribes. , The court stated that the federal and states could only regulate tribal fishing rights when concerns for  conservation paid a role and that the tribal shar e of salmon runs must be protected. The running also  gave the tribes a role in the rule-making process on fisheries on the Columbia.

David Sohappy led dissidents in focusing on these fishing rights and attempted to protect and expand  the tribal rights. This led to a series on conflicts with government authorities. The end result was

“Salmonsam ” arrests and trial. The federal government charged Sohappy and 18 others, including  Sohappy’s son, David Jr., with poaching 40,000 salmon. After the investigation, Sohappy was charged  with selling 345 salmon to federal agents in Oregon. Sohappy and his son were convicted and sentenced to five years of prison. Charges were dropped or reduced of all of the others charged in the investigation  but Sohappy and his son were used as a symbol. Later, the 40,000 missing salmon were found in by  biologists in outlying tributaries of the Columbia.

Sohappy served in prison until May 18, 1988 when he was released. Political pressured, including  Senator Daniel Inouye, focused concern on Sohappy’s  case. While in prison, Sohappy’s health declined and aged him far beyond his years. After his release,  he returned to his family and continued to pay a major role in tribal affairs and fishing right issues. His  health never really recovered, and he died in 1991.

The central role of Sohappy in the tribal fishing rights movement focused public understanding on the  role of salmon on tribal culture. His willingness to put himself in harm’s way to protect the treaty rights  of the Yakama has made him an important figure in Yakama culture and in the entire Columbia River  environment.