Articles written by Deepa Bharath


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  • Yakama Nation chief continues fighting for Columbia River salmon

    Deepa Bharath, Associated Press|Sep 7, 2022

    THE DALLES, Oregon (AP) - Wilbur Slockish Jr. has been shot at, had rocks hurled at him. He hid underground for months, and then spent 20 months serving time in federal prisons across the country - all of that for fishing in the Columbia River. But Slockish, a traditional river chief of the Klickitat Band of the Yakama Nation, would endure it all again to protect his right of access to the river and the fish that his people believe were bestowed to them by the Creator. "It's a sacred covenant,"...

  • Columbia River is key to history and future of Native tribes

    Deepa Bharath, Associated Press|Aug 31, 2022

    ALONG THE COLUMBIA RIVER (AP) - James Kiona stands on a rocky ledge overlooking Lyle Falls where the water froths and rushes through steep canyon walls just before merging with the Columbia River. His silvery ponytail flutters in the wind, and a string of eagle claws adorns his neck. Kiona has fished for Chinook salmon for decades on his family's scaffold at the edge of the falls, using a dip net suspended from a 33-foot pole. "Fishing is an art and a spiritual practice," says Kiona, a Yakama...