March, 2022—we gather the many works that have slipped through the cracks from the Redwood Voice Crew, primarily their contributions to local news. Join Persephone Rose, Director of Redwood Voice, and Paul Critz, Station & Program Manager for KFUG Community Radio, for a review of the many recent projects the ever-growing Redwood Voice team have submitted to the KFUG Community News program—stories that are most often sent to broadcast and not heard again. Until now, that is, through the planned-to-be monthly editions of the Redwood Voice Anthology.
On this anthology we’ll discuss and review these stories, as well as give them a place to air in full. The stories in this Anthology include:
(0:04:56) STORM Stands Before County Board of Supervisors
Yurok language lessons will soon be more accessible than ever before—the following is a PSA from the Yurok Tribe.
The Administration for Native Americans recently funded the next evolution of the Yurok Language Program’s comprehensive effort to fully restore the everyday use of the Tribe’s first form of communication. Over the next three years, the Program will use the ANA award to make learning the Yurok language more accessible than ever before. The primary goal of the project is to reintegrate the language within households, workplaces and community events. To accomplish this objective, the Program is creating a series of digital platforms containing interactive educational tools, implementing culturally relevant learning exercises and developing a virtual archive featuring a diversity of resources. The Program is also establishing a community-wide team of language liaisons, comprised of tribal staff and local residents, who will help promote and participate in learning opportunities.
“When we designed this project, we focused on how we could best serve the community, while supporting the development of new and existing language speakers. We wanted to ensure that language is spoken in the home, that language is spoken in the workplace, and that we hear and speak the language at our ceremonies and gatherings,” said Yurok Language Program Manager Victoria Carlson. “We also thought about the elders who dedicated their lives and energy into preserving the language.
The Yurok language team feels we are on a path they would want us to pursue.
“The Yurok Language Program has developed an outstanding teacher training program. The language is now taught in head starts and public schools. We have built an amazing foundation to take the next step, which is to move the language out of the classroom and into the community. We want to empower people to use the language in their day-to-day lives,” said Distance Learning Coordinator Brittany Vigil.
“We’re really focusing our efforts on bringing the language back to where it belongs, which is everywhere,” added Yurok Language Cultural Coordinator James Gensaw. “One of the things they did when they tried to exterminate us was remove language from the home. One of the primary goals of this project is bring the use of the language back into the homes of all of our members.”
The Planting Seeds: Reclaiming Yurok Language Domains and Building New Circles project reflects the input of more than 130 Yurok citizens, who provided feedback on the Program’s future goals. The three domains, which include Reintroduction to Ceremony, Yurok Tribal Employees, and Distance Learning and Community Engagement, were each selected for a specific purpose.
“The domains touch on the aspects of our daily lives as Yurok people. We want to normalize the use of the language in everyday situations,” said Distance Learning Coordinator Brittany Vigil, who is leading the development of the digital assets.
The first online platform is a new website, yuroklanguage.com Currently under construction, the site will contain language curricula, digital animations with Yurok songs and much more. The Language Program is also building a series of applications offering on-demand learning materials, including videos and audio recordings of tribal elders telling traditional stories.
“I want people to see the Yurok language every day of their lives. They’re going to see it in their email, or at a community class or on social media. We want to normalize the everyday use of the language,” said Distance Learning Coordinator Vigil.
“Once the distance learning courses, digital platforms and the online archive are in place, they will be available to the community. For as long as there is a Yurok Tribe, all of these learning tools will be organized in one place for future learners,” added Barbara McQuillen, the Yurok Language Collections and Teacher Training Coordinator.
The Program has already organized the first of many immersive activities, including acorn-gathering and eel hook-making events where participants learned terminology related to the activity. Plans are in the works to put on similar events in the near term. The language will also be incorporated into the Tribe’s most high-profile gatherings, such as the Salmon Festival and Spring Flings.
“There are numerous studies that show hands-on learning stimulates language acquisition. Immersion is actually the best way to learn. It triggers a ton of language growth,” said Yurok Language Cultural Coordinator James Gensaw. “The online and in-person language activities cater to every learning style.” There are benefits that go well beyond language acquisition and retention too. For example, second language learners regularly perform better in reading, math and language arts. Indigenous communities who have higher levels of language retention are shown to have lower rates of cigarette smoking, substance abuse, suicide, domestic violence, and diabetes. Native Children who learn their language have higher levels of self-esteem, higher levels of confidence in their own abilities, and decreased levels of anxiety.
“New research indicates that those who learn their native language are less likely to attempt suicide too,” said Language Collections and Teacher Training Coordinator Barbara McQuillen. The Program is currently looking for 15 language liaisons from the tribal government and the community. In addition to supporting the Program, the liaisons will receive assistance with achieving an intermediate-low level of proficiency in speaking the language. The Program encourages all interested community members to sign up to become a liaison. If you’re interested, please email Yurok Language Distance Learning Coordinator Brittany Vigil-Burbank at bvigil@yuroktribe.nsn.us.
The Planting Seeds Project represents a natural progression of the successful Yurok elder-led campaign implemented between the 1950s and early 2000s to preserve the language. At every juncture, the Yurok Language Program team acknowledges their predecessors’ dedication to saving the language. Taking the mantle, the Program has made the language available in the Tribe’s Head Starts in addition to public high schools on the Yurok and Hoopa Reservations and in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties. The language will continue to be offered in these educational institutions for the foreseeable future. During the past five years, the Program has trained a team of talented teacher candidates and continues to develop new instructors. In fact, some the teachers from the initial class are now training new language educators. The Program also provides community language classes. Prior to the pandemic, the courses were taught in-person, but now they are available via Zoom.
“We believe this project is a reflection of what our fluent elder speakers would have wanted us to carry on to ensure the survival of our language. I feel confident our language team will be able to accomplish the goals of this project,” concluded Yurok Language Program Manager Carlson.
Source: (Joana Jansen, Northwest Indian Language Institute, University of Oregon; Lindsay Marean, Owens Valley Career Development Center; and Janne Underriner, Northwest Indian Language Institute, University of Oregon)
2021 was no exception to being a year packed with jaw-dropping, heart-wrenching, action-packed, and thought-provoking movies. In no particular order, here are 6 of our top movies from the past year!
A Quiet Place Part II
One anticipated film at the beginning of this year was A Quiet Place Part 2. Taking place seconds after the events of Part 1, Evelyn Abbott (played by Emily Blunt) and her 3 kids desert their compromised home to travel outside, where the smallest sound can leave them the most vulnerable. In a flashback at the start of the movie, we learned that the ultrasonic hearing monsters who brought the apocalypse are from space. And they can’t swim, which finally gave the humans an advantage.
Evelyn’s daughter, Regan (played by Millicent Simmonds), discovered there was a possibility that people were taking refuge on an island just off the New York coast. The last thing her mother wanted was to lose another family member, but Regan took the initiative to make the journey to find security.
Evelyn’s fear for her children’s safety throughout the movie contributed significantly to their family’s growth as they learned to believe in each other’s capabilities. With Regan being deaf, the son Marcus (played by Noah Jupe) being easily frightened, and Evelyn having to keep her newborn healthy and quiet, each member finds a way to overcome their obstacles in order to save each other’s lives by the end.
In a way, this movie portrays what every parent might be feeling during the pandemic. Extra precautions, knowhow of the outside world, and possessing skills of their own showed Evelyn that the kids are alright. The sequel did a great job of expanding their world as well as the lore, and left watchers hungry for Part 3. If you prefer watching a family in a horror setting rather than a horror movie with family in it, the A Quiet Place movies have a profound story to dive into.
Halloween Kills
2021 saw the next installment in Michael Myers’ killing spree in Halloween Kills. The story has some major holes, but the message is a little more solid. Starting off right where the 2018 movie ended, it’s revealed that Michael Myers didindeed survive the house fire.The plot is split between two parts, Michael’s journey to his childhood home and the town coming together to form a mob to hunt him down. Most of the issues with the story happen because of the message it’s trying to send.
In the middle of the movie, there’s this long scene where the town hunts down some guy who they think is Michael, despite evidence to the contrary, and eventually kill him. This scene and surrounding ones try to paint a picture that people need to think for themselves and not just follow the group; that one needs to see the world for themselves before making decisions.
At the same time, the movie also discourages lone wolf behavior, with many fight scenes involving Michael being those where 1 person decides that they’re enough to take down the killer. The only time in the movie where people succeed is at the end: when a group of people come together, there’s confirmation that itis Michael Myers, and then take action.
Of course, he doesn’t stay down for long since every movie nowadays has to set up for the sequel, this being no different. The last 5 minutes are spent showing that Michael isn’t dead yet and he’ll return in the next installment, Halloween Ends.
Dune
The 2021 reboot of Dune brought a sense of scale and epicness that wasn’t seen in many other movies this year. And even though most didn’t grasp an understanding of what was going on until their second viewing, the show-stopping visuals and acting balance with the fast-paced plot.
Dune is a sci-fi adventure packed with action, drama, suspense, and betrayal. In the year 10,191, The planets of the House Atreides and House Harkonnen are mortal enemies that serve the Imperial Emperor from House Corrino. When Atreides becomes responsible for overlooking the manufacturing of spice on the planet Arrakis, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen orders the sabotage of their operation and the annihilation of the royal family. It’s up to Duke Leto’s son, Paul Atreides (played by Timothee Chalamet), to form a relationship with the Arrakis people and save their worlds.
Everything such as the flawless cinematography, booming score by Hanz Zimmer, daunting spaceships, the fear you feel from the giant sandworm approaching, and the performance each actor brings to their character all make this film a very unique blockbuster.
Luckily, “this is only the beginning.” This first movie only covers half of author Frank Herbert’s novel. Keep an eye out for a Part 2 that’s coming soon!
No Time to Die
The final installment in Daniel Craig’s run as James Bond released in 2021, with some parts of the movie being great, and other parts not so much.
Throughout No Time to Die, it’s clear that they haven’t forgotten the previous movies, with Vesper Lynd’s grave being used as the starting point for the conflict between Bond and Madeline Swan. Felix Leiter and Ernst Blofeld also return to play important roles in Bond’s conflict with Safin, with both of them meeting their ends in the arms of James.
The villain Safin (played by Rami Malek) can leave many desiring more out of his character, however, the story makes up for it with Bond’s relationship with Swan and her daughter. Throughout the movie, its slowly revealed that Swan’s daughter also happens to be Bond’s. And while this can bring up some questions on how it happened due to Le Chiffre’s destruction of Bond’s… parts, in Casino Royale, it can be easily overlooked in order to experience this softer side to Craig’s Bond.
His new daughter is a huge reason Bond sacrifices himself at the end of the movie. With his sacrifice, the audience is left feeling the pain experienced alongside Madeleine at his death.
No Time to Die is the dramatic send off to the story started in Casino Royale all the way back in 2006.
Tick, Tick…Boom!
Lin Manuel Miranda’s film adaptation of the musical Tick, Tick…Boom! was arguably one of the best this year next to West Side Story and In the Heights. His direction helped to portray all the highs and lows of the late Jon Larson’s life.
Tick, Tick…Boom! is a pop/rock autobiography of his life and work on writing his newest musical, Superbia. Jon’s legacy would live on through his next musical, Rent, but before that, he would face many struggles leading up to his 30th birthday. Before he hit the big 3-0, he had to compose the most vital song to Superbia, hire musicians for its workshop, support his friends who were threatened by HIV, and give an answer to his girlfriend on whether he wants to move out with her or not. The story shows how his commitment to this project impacts his relationship, friendships, and time to think about other important matters.
Like in every other role he’s played, Andrew Garfield brings his all to resembling a real figure, like Larson, through his mannerisms and even style of singing. Garfield was handpicked by Miranda for this role, so he learned how to sing in just a year in preparation.
From what musical fans have seen from this year’s adaptations, creating a movie from a stage production has the potential to be executed very well with the right cast and crew. And Tick, Tick…Boom! was a perfect example of an adaptation done right.
The Suicide Squad and Zach Snyder’s Justice League
DC’s new THE Suicide Squad, directed by James Gunn, showcases DC learning an important lesson. That if you’re working in a creative medium, give the creative people some control.
If you compare David Ayer’s Suicide Squad to James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, you’ll see a huge difference between the two movies. A part of it’s because of their different stories, but the directors of both admit that the first movie would have been better if not for DC’s meddling. James Gunn actually thanked Ayer on Twitter saying that without the troubles during his time directing, Gunn’s version of the Suicide Squad would have been a lot harder to make.
You can also see the change in DC’s ways with their other movie of this year, Zach Snyder’s Justice League. Snyder’s gave us a huge opportunity to compare what would happen when the director has full control over the movie and when the studio gets to decide what happens. When comparing the two, there’s still plenty of flaws in both versions, but Snyder’s original vision is the better of the two, as long as you’re fine with the extra 2 hours.
My favorite part of the “Snyder cut,” as fans call it, is the addition of Cyborg’s story. In the original, Cyborg felt like he had a lot of missed potential. Luckily, Snyder was able to give him more screen time in this newer rendition.
While Snyder’s version of this universe won’t continue, I’d recommend people wanting to get into the DC universe his version over the studio’s.
On December 6th, the Fortuna City Council passed an ordinance that would criminalize camping throughout most of the city. Officials say it’s a much-needed remedy to problems caused by unhoused residents, but the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California says the proposed regulations are both illegal and cruel.
The ordinance would make it a misdemeanor for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use “camp paraphernalia” in residential and commercial zones that cover the majority of the city’s jurisdiction. It would criminalize camping in any public place between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. — plus the hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. “unless there are no sleeping spaces practically available in any shelter or if there does not exist any viable alternative to sleeping in a public place.”
At the December 6 council meeting, city councilmembers Mike Johnson and Jeremy Stanfield said they hope the ordinance has “teeth” to deal with people who’ve been sleeping in front of businesses and in other public places. Councilmember Mike Losey agreed, saying, “I think our citizens are just going to relish being able to call in and report some of these violations and then see action taken to stop some of this.”
The Fortuna City Council conducted a second reading of the proposed ordinance and again voted unanimously to implement it. The new anti-camping laws will take effect on Jan. 19th.
As first reported by the Times-Standard, City Attorney Ryan Plotz crafted the ordinance, with input from Fortuna Police Chief Casey Day, to address complaints about the local homeless population while attempting to navigate the terms of the landmark 2018 Martin v. Boise ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District.
In that case, the Ninth Circuit panel found that it’s unconstitutional to charge criminal penalties “for sitting, sleeping, or lying outside on public property for homeless individuals who cannot obtain shelter.” The Eighth Amendment bars punishing a person “for lacking the means to live out the ‘universal and unavoidable consequences of being human,’” the court found.
Day said his department’s approach will begin with a “soft launch” of the ordinance, offering education and literature to the city’s unhoused offenders while working with partner organizations. Even with habitual offenders — those who refuse to adhere to the city’s ordinance and refuse help — the department plans to issue some kind of “warning citation” before charging them with a crime.
City Councilmember Mike Losey asked whether his officers will “make some effort to determine whether there are beds available in Eureka, say, at the homeless shelter.” Day said it would be their “overarching goal to provide that type of assistance.” In the event that they find someone “open minded” and seeking help, he said “we really do try to facilitate that by making those phone calls and/or even, in past practice, arranging transportation to those facilities.”
The City of Fortuna does not have any homeless shelters, however in interviews with the Outpost, City Manager Merritt Perry and Plotz said police officers have offered to drive people to shelters in Eureka and Arcata.
The decision has caused many cities across the western United States, including Eureka, to redraft their own anti-camping ordinances. It’s also left a good deal of confusion in its wake as cities grapple with the lack of specifics in the ruling. Plotz said courts have struggled to interpret the language in the Boise decision for not being specific enough to provide real guidance. Fortuna’s ordinance bans camp paraphernalia, which it says “includes, but is not limited to, tents or tent-like structures, cots, hammocks, personal cooking facilities and similar equipment.” The definition explicitly excludes blankets, sleeping bags or bedrolls. A lot will be left up to individual officers’ discretion, he said.
The Boise decision “doesn’t specify a distance in terms of what’s considered available or not,” Plotz said in a phone interview. “It’s one of the areas that Boise has received some criticism from the League of California Cities for not providing that type of detailed guidance.”
Perry told the Outpost that Fortuna approaches the issue of homelessness regionally. When Fortuna recently received $400,000 in CARES Act funding to address homelessness, it wound up giving the money away. They made an agreement with the City of Eureka to put half of that towards their UPLIFT Program, and put the other half towards Arcata House [Partnership]. “So we’ll find a way to get people to where there is shelter” — assuming they’re willing to go, he added.
At the Dec. 6 meeting, Plotz told the council that the Fortuna Police Department has largely stopped criminal enforcement of its anti-camping regulations as a result of the Boise case, and residents have noticed an uptick in the number of people building temporary shelters and lying in front of businesses on Main Street.
“[…] the aim of the Martin v. Boise case was to prevent cities from criminalizing sitting, sleeping or lying on public property,” says Plotz. “It does not speak to the larger issue of camping and the things that that comes with, including the erection of temporary shelters.”
The ACLU of Northern California disagrees with Plotz’s assessment. In a statement sent to the Outpost last week the organization says:
“The Fortuna City Attorney’s claim that focusing on ‘camping’ rather than “sleeping” makes their ordinance legal is false and misrepresents Martin v. Boise…It covers “the unavoidable consequences of being human,” which includes the need for shelter, cooking, and having some personal possessions available.”
Additionally, the suggestion from one councilman that residents of Fortuna will “relish” calling in to report unhoused people attempting to survive outdoors suggests a concerning lack of empathy for the plight of unhoused people […]”
Day said this ordinance represents a needed update to regulations in “The Friendly City.” At the public meeting two weeks ago he stated, “I really feel strongly that for the public morale and health and safety of the community, that this revision to the municipal code is exactly what our community needs.”
Listen—we know Amazon and Jeff Bezos are comically evil at this point. From the scary time those really robotic tweets supporting Amazon were coming out to the horrible mishaps that just kinda happen to the lack of ethics behind hording wealth that should be stimulating an already broken, shambling economy, we’ve seen it time and time again. And we tend to forget about it because we get used to worse stuff.
“[…] the scary time those really robotic tweets supporting Amazon were coming out[…]”“[…] to the horrible mishaps that just kinda happen[…]”“[…] to the lack of ethics behind hording wealth that should be stimulating an already broken, shambling economy.”
“[…] we’ve seen it time and time again. And we tend to forget about it because we get used to worse stuff.“
Let this week be a reminder to break out of that cycle.
Over the past month, the workers of an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama have been voting on unionizing. Some sources say the voting has concluded while others suggest it’s still in progress, so for our purposes we’ll consider the voting in progress until we see final results. Unionizing, if successful, would make them the first Amazon warehouse to unionize! Specifically, they’re looking to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, or RWDSU.
The beautiful thing about this is it hasn’t gone under the radar, we’re far from the first to talk about this. Frankly the entire country is talking about it! #BoycottAmazon is trending on Twitter and other social media—primarily from a consumer led movement. A Mashable article from Tim Marcin says, “It’s important to note, though, that this call for action isn’t coming from inside the union. An RWDSU spokesperson confirmed as much to Mashable in a Sunday phone call. Boycott or not, this ongoing vote and the efforts to make it happen represent a critically important moment for union activists. Should the Bessemer’s unionization effort prove successful, other Amazon workers could follow suit.”
Representative Andy Levin of Detroit, Michigan told the workers of this warehouse, “This is the most important election for the working class of this country in the 21st century. This is the biggest election in the South in a generation.”
Amazon’s reaction to this has been attempted union busting. They have a history of fighting Union activity, in fact when I searched for their response I found a CNBC Article by Katie Schoolov about an instance back in August of 2019 where Amazon took SEVERAL moves to block unionization, which included integrating anti-union messages in their employee training videos. As such, it’s little surprise that Amazon is reacting similarly, to the point that it’s been reported that Amazon may have tampered with traffic light timing. From the Verge, Russell Brandom: “Union organizers at the site had previously accused the company of altering the timing so that pro-union workers would not be able to canvass workers while stopped at the light.
Until recently, the altered timing on the traffic light outside the factory had been dismissed as a rumor. But More Perfect Union confirmed with Jefferson County officials that last year, Amazon notified the county of traffic delays during shift changes and asked for the light to be changed. On December 15th, the county increased the green light duration in an effort to clear workers off the worksite faster. There’s no indication that the county was aware of the ongoing organizing drive or any effect the traffic light changes might have on the effort.”
Of course, while this could be all chalked up to heresy and coincidence, it’s harder to look at it that way when considering their regular habits include very direct measures inside these warehouses. Noting, again, the training video incident, it’s reported further in that same article: “Amazon has vigorously contested the effort, posting anti-unionization flyers throughout the factory, most noticeably in the bathroom. In advance of the official vote, workers also received a flood from Amazon warning of potentially negative consequences from unionization.”
Even uh, more grossly, I saw that Amazon was suddenly broadcasting this.
Yes, yes it’s great to celebrate Black women-owned businesses Amazon, but dropping this in the middle of a boycott is clearly a guilt tactic used to make consumers feel uneasy about how they’re seen to others. Because you’re not doing that so much through Amazon, you’re still buying through Amazon. The business likely has their own shop on another platform as well you could just as easily go to without tossing more of your cash into Bezos’s Bezhole.
So, look—don’t use Amazon this week. And frankly? If you can, try not to use it. A friend of mine once taught me how to search for items I want on Amazon, viewing the manufacturer, and then finding that item either from the manufacturer or a different shop they work for. Oftentimes cheaper.
Jeff Bezos is a pit where money just evaporates, and sure, you can order some staples and Sanrio stickers and an inflatable boat in like two days, but it’s because we’ve given a lot of money to some rich cold sore on humanity, and now he’s just some rich guy who pays a poor person too little to do the thing for him that he still gets the praise for.
Don’t use Amazon this week. Remember: Capitalism is rough, but we are all its victims—we can buy our material goods from other stalls. Try Etsy instead.
Though this project exists as a video, it is also included below as an article for your reading leisure.
It’s made national news and things are finally heading in the right direction, but it’s only the beginning. Throughout 2020—yes, that 2020—The Yurok Tribe rose up and at last has reached their goal of undamming the Klamath River, now with a set year for the dams to finally come down. But it wasn’t an easy journey… nor a short one, and certainly not a simple one. Here’s how we got here.
This report is meant to document what led to the move to finally undam the Klamath River, after a solid decade of effort being put into the matter.
Those who made it through the constant negotiations and reworkings involved the Klamath Justice Coalition, who are, quote, “formed by local Natives and people from the Klamath around the Un-dam the Klamath campaign,” (x) as well as the Yurok Tribe as a whole, whose reservation rests in Klamath. In fact, to part the curtain, this video was inspired while I was looking for information to teach myself about the entire ordeal, and noticed that information was… a little bit all over the place.
Which, hey, in its defense: this story just developed over the last few months, and the developments in between were quite spaced out. So the purpose of this report will be to capture the narrative and have it all in one easy-to-digest place.
So without further ado—let’s jump right in.
CHAPTER 1. Exposition
Well, actually, we’re not going to jump right into the real meat of it. Since we’re broadcasting this story to people who may have no idea what’s up: just a bit of a rundown of what you need to know.
The Klamath River is a 257 mile long river that cuts through both Northern California and Southern Oregon. Over in Klamath it empties into the Pacific Ocean, and it starts all the way back in, of course, Klamath Falls. It’s the Second Largest River in all California, second only to the Sacramento River. The river is so large that along its trail, it satiates four different tribes: the Yurok tribe, the Karuk tribe, the Hoopa tribe, and the Klamath tribe.
The Klamath is an absolutely vital part of the area. To our neighbors, the Yurok Tribe, it gives a sense of identity and livelihood. It gives sustenance to the ecosystem and is where the salmon population is meant to thrive. The fishing of salmon in the Yurok Tribe, as this report will likely hit a few times, is an incredibly important part of Yurok culture. Salmon is used in ceremonies. Salmon is a source of food. And for many, salmon is a source of income.
I don’t think I need to explain why that’s, y’know, a big deal. Imagine a resource so vital, so important to you. It’s been part of your culture since as long as your culture’s been around, it keeps you fed, and chances are high it’s what you do to keep the lights on and the bills paid.
Now imagine something happens. Something bad. No, that resource isn’t taken away: it’s made sick from the source, and withers before your very eyes.
CHAPTER 2. The Day of the Dams
Klamath River, again, is a big river. I probably made that clear. And you know this story is about dams so you know where we’re going with this.
What happens when you put a dam on a river? According to Michael Belchik, the Yurok tribe’s senior fisheries biologist, quote “Anytime you put a dam on a river, it always has profound effects: it chops the river into two pieces. Rivers carry a lot more than just water. The water goes down river, fish move upriver, but not only that: there’s nutrients, sediment and other organisms.” Rivers move a lot of vital stuff, and when you put a giant wall in the way, it’s going to mess it up. And mess it up it has, as the salmon population that we’ve established as important on both an identity and livelihood basis has been utterly decimated. Glen Spain, northwest regional director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, explained that the salmon catch rate has gone down 98% over the past 4 decades due to the dams. In a more scientific phrasing: “Scientists state that the dams create deadly algae blooms that contribute to disease and parasites infecting Klamath River salmon,” according to a Wild Rivers Outpost article by Jessica Cejnar. If you’d like to see more of this effect, Congressman Jared Huffman conducted a livestream August 18th, 2020—a hefty 2 hour examination of the impact it’s had on the tribes that rely on it and the environment itself whilst PacifiCorp turns profits.
The aforementioned Jared Huffman livestream examining effects.
Even more so, an interesting point on these dams is that while their list of cons piles high, their pros aren’t so positive either. It would actually be tremendously better for the economy of Del Norte County to have these dams taken down. Bringing back the salmon population would reintroduce commercial fishing from the Tribe and Independent Fisheries. Instead, the salmon numbers have been simply so low along the Klamath River that from end to end, Northern California to Southern Oregon, fisheries have had to disband solely because there’s not even enough fish to pass the minimum threshold, Glen Spain further elaborated in a Wild Rivers Outpost article.
Basically? The Dams aren’t really doing much for anyone besides PacifiCorp themselves, the profiting party. And even that is put to question. The same article said of Spain, quote, “Spain argued that the 82 megawatts of electricity the dams generate has been replaced at least 17 times over with renewable energy since Berkshire Hathaway purchased PacifiCorp in 2005. He noted that in a 2007 environmental impact statement, FERC concluded that the dams actually produce 26 percent less power than originally thought, which has to be sold at a rate that loses the company $20 million a year.”
So if I told you these dams—yes, plural—have been up for a solid century, well, I don’t have to tell you that’s going to be rough on the environment. The four dams, which are named J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, and the Iron Gate, spanned several decades of construction, the first beginning construction around 1908 with it finishing around 1917, and the last finally constructed in 1962, standing strong and in the way ever since.
The Yurok Tribe has had a rough relationship trying to get these dams removed, an obvious goal because these dams, as Belchik said, chopped the river into separate pieces. Since the mid-2000s, some progress had finally been made between the various stakeholders who are involved with the Klamath River and the Dams, which includes the Yurok Tribe and Pacificorp (who actually operates the Dams), though also includes the Karuk Tribe, a few environmental organizations, and the states of California and Oregon. This settlement became known as the “Klamath Hydro-electric Settlement Agreement,” or KHSA. As Amy Cordalis, General Council of the Yurok Tribe puts it,
[…] Since the mid-2000s [there] has been an agreement in place: the Klamath Hydro-electric Settlement Agreement, that would effectuate dam removal. That agreement has been amended and changed a few times.
Amy Cordalis, General Council of the Yurok Tribe
These amendments and changes have altered how things work out regarding Dam Removal, which has made it a bumpy road in terms of getting the dams… well, actually removed. The most recent of these amendments happened in 2016, when the responsibility of Dam Removal was taken out of Congressional Approval, as it had previously been, and back into the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC. FERC’s involvement would provide a bit of a “Curveball,” as Amy Cordalis and many others have come to put it, and I’ll let her take it away with what exactly that meant for Dam Removal:
And in July of last year, 2020, we received an order on one of the initial applications. And in the order, it basically approved the license surrender of the Klamath Dams FERC License that’s required in order for PacifiCorp to operate the dams. So it approved the application of surrendering that license, but it required PacifiCorp to stay on the license through the transfer process of that license to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, which is the Dam Removal Entity. And that requirement was a bit of a curveball, it was a bit different from what we had contemplated in the 2016 amendment to the [KHSA], and so there was this decision point of… what do we do? How do we continue to move forward with dam removal with this little curveball? And so what happened was the Yurok Tribe called the CEOs of Berkshire Hathaway – Warren Buffet, the CEO of PacifiCorp – […] And so we called their leaders and basically said, “Meet us on the banks of Blue Creek on the Yurok Reservation and let’s figure this out.” And to their credit they responded, and although we didn’t get Warren Buffet to the river we did get a few of his number one and number two CEOs to the river, and we had a long talk. And our Tribal Leaders were clear that failure is not an option, that dams will come down, and that we needed to work collectively together in order to remove the dams. And they basically responded, and what that did was then trigger negotiations for a new agreement that happened over the late Sumer and early Fall.
Amy Cordalis, General Council of the Yurok Tribe
Backing up just a bit, the FERC decision and its effects thereafter came about late Summer, as Cordalis explained. Ideally, prior to the decision, plans were to bring the dams down in 2022. This curveball, however, meant all the stakeholders were back in the negotiations phase. As Jessica Cejnar, Wild Rivers Outpost Bureau Chief, wrote on the matter in an article on August 20th, 2020, Quote: “This decision changed the terms of the 2016 Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, [Utility Representative Scott Bolton said], and makes PacifiCorp liable for all project costs and liabilities.” And, obviously, PacifiCorp didn’t want that.
The actual cost to remove the dams is estimated at $434 Million. The renegotiations that made the KHSA happen helped form the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, or KRRC: the organization Cordalis mentioned the license would go to. As such, they had their own budget, and at the time it was set at $450 Million. $200 Million of that actually came from a PacifiCorp surcharge to its California and Oregon customers, and the other $250 million came from California water bond dollars. But for a while, a tension brewed between the Yurok Tribe and PacifiCorp. It seemed to some that PacifiCorp wanted to pass everything onto the tribe, and, therefore, get out with their profit and quietly move along—but the ruling of the license threw that out the window.
CHAPTER 3. Rising Action.
You know, PacifiCorp thought they were going to be off the hook, and left the management of the dismantling of the dams to a non-profit. And the federal Government said, “No I’m sorry, you’re not off the hook actually,” and so it’s really important to me to hold those corporations accountable. Corporations have deeply impacted the health of all of us, including our Earth and natural world, our ecosystem. At some point we need to start holding them accountable. They often are able to get out of lawsuits and keep doing the kind of dirty work they do by using the law against us.
Chrystal Helton, Local Activist & Resident of Klamath Glen
A month after renegotiations started, the FERC Order wasn’t the only thing pinning PacifiCorp to take responsibility. At this point, too, we should mention that the owners of PacifiCorp were being drawn to attention, Berkshire Hathaway and its CEO, Warren Buffet. It was a bit of a perspective shift, from the daunting task of fighting an entire corporation to remembering that… Yes, there was a person behind this. A name and a face, an identity, a reputation. Remember this, it’ll come up again later!
On September 24th, 2020, Congressman Jared Huffman suddenly proposed legislation that specifically targeted PacifiCorp for the impact its Dams have had.
The legislation came with a large news release that you can read online in its entirety, but the important gist of it: it’s H.R. 4447, the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, which included the KHSA Tribal Fairness amendment, led by Rep. Jared Huffman. Quote,
“The amendment is designed to safeguard Tribal communities against further harm to the Klamath River and its ecosystem and remediate existing problems in the Klamath River basin and downstream communities caused by four aging dams owned by PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.
If PacifiCorp turns its back on the negotiated agreement to remove the dams, the Huffman amendment would impose new relicensing conditions for the dam owner, including a requirement that the dams comply with state and tribal recommendations to reduce harm to fisheries, as well as numerous public disclosures related to water pollution, fish recovery, dam safety, and the facility’s financial status.” End quote.
So, at this point… everyone’s eyes are on PacifiCorp. FERC dropped their order to stay liable, the Yurok tribe made it clear that failure is not an option, and now the House of Representatives has passed H.R. 4447.
And all the while? Something big starts to form.
CHAPTER 4. The Day of Action
October 23rd, 2020: Activists around the region and the country planned a day of action to put pressure on Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway, PacifiCorp’s Owner, as well as other stakeholders and politicians regarding the removal of the Klamath Dams.
KFUG Community Radio interviewed local activist and Klamath Glen resident Chrystal Helton (who you heard cue us into the previous section), one of many involved with the Day of Action. Plans involved some good ol’ fashioned banner bombing across Highway 101 to bring attention to PacifiCorp. Virtual rallies took place in both Portland and Omaha, Nebraska, the former being where PacifiCorp is located, the latter being Warren Buffet’s hometown. A San Diego rally also took place, joining not only the movement to Undam the Klamath, but to also push back against PacifiCorp’s attempts to dominate Southern California as a utility, which was spoken further of in a California Save the Salmon press release. In Klamath, signs were hung from various Tribal families addressing Warren Buffet, Berkshire Hathaway, Pacificorp, and both the California and Oregon Governors, Gavin Newsom and Kate Brown (respectively.)
And the thing is? It really took off. Social Media was filled with tens of thousands talking about the Day of Action, and that creates an interesting thing. See, as we said earlier, it wasn’t just about PacifiCorp. While everyone was already on board knowing the troubles that corporations have caused for our health and the natural world, the realization of its sole owner, Warren Buffet, meant that these calls could be far more targeted.
So when Warren Buffet’s reputation fell on the line and he noticed that all eyes were on him, the Day of Action had accomplished its mission. Like Amy Cordalis said: “Failure was not an option.”
CHAPTER 5. Resolution & What’s To Come
Negotiations were suddenly a lot smoother, and by mid-November 2020, the Yurok tribe finally had some good news.
Folks probably saw the press releases from not only Berkshire Hathaway, but Governor Newsom, Governor Brown in Oregon, as well as the tribe announcing the new memorandum of agreement that we were able to negotiate. And I’ll move into the terms of what those are[.] So the terms of the agreement basically adressed the issue that FERC required of PacifiCorp staying on the license, by having both the states of Oregon and California, and then PacifiCorp would stay involved in a technical capacity but would not come onto the license. So that is the sort of compromise that everyone agreed to. In addition to that, Oregon, California, as well as PacifiCorp, are contributing an additional $15 million to dam removal—$15 million each— for a total of $45 Million, on top of the existing $450 Million Budget.
Amy Cordalis, General Council of the Yurok Tribe
With these new terms of agreement, the deal was made, negotiations… were negotiated. While it’s certainly an ambitious project, it’s finally, truly underway. By 2023, the dams should be gone. So what comes next? What does this mean, exactly?
For one thing, this is historical for a few reasons. The most tragic of which being that this is a nation based on the struggling, pillaging, and theft of Indingeous tribes who populated the continent far before its colonization by White European settlers. Historically they’ve been damned by us, and even more recently, our government has been truly cruel to the Indigenous tribes whose land we live our lives on. Mt. Rushmore prior to the carving of the Presidential faces was an incredibly sacred, religious place, called the Tunkasila Sakpe Paha, or Six Grandfathers Mountain. Which, of course, our country stole and carved the faces of various figures who each played roles throughout history in taking the land and power of those who were already here. The Standing Rock protests, where peaceful protesters were maced and brutalized, was just back in 2016. But now, we see a noticeable victory for the Yurok tribe, as well as the various other tribes who rely on the Klamath River.
It’s back to what Amy Cordalis said: failure is not an option.
My final point I’ll make is: in the process of negotiation the new MOA, the tribe really focused on the importance of the fishery, to preserving tribal life ways and protecting Indigenous cultures. And that was really heard by Berkshire Hathaway, and I think also by the states. And the states, as well as Berkshire Hathaway, were really willing and did step up and make commitments to protect the tribal interest, to work to restore the environment. I think that’s one of the first times I can think of that Indigenous communities were able to put their rights, their life ways, at the same level as the business interest. You know, the force of the tribe that: we’re never going to stop here, failure’s not an option. But I also think the tipping point was the decision Berkshire Hathaway made to support this project, they really stepped up, and equally valuing diverse interest. I think that’s such a good model of how we can move forward with resource development, and also resource restoration.
Amy Cordalis, General Council of the Yurok Tribe
Who would have thought, listening to people actually helped us understand. So there are a few things to take from this. For one, people are powerful when they’re together and have a voice. Indingenous folks in this country have faced the brunt of colonialism since the start, but still they fight for what is rightfully theirs. Hopefully, this case will become a wondrous precedent for future movements of tribes to reclaim what is rightfully their own, especially when everyone is working together. Electing leaders who listen to their concerns and genuinely act on them.
We may not know what the future holds. FERC could introduce a new order, legislation could change how these operations work out, or another Indigenous landmark could be put in danger. But if nothing else, this ordeal has shown the strength of these Tribes and what comes from elected officials who genuinely care—who DO something. So, look forward to 2023 for a damless Klamath, take the time to listen to Indigenous folks, and take the time to make some noise for them.
For Redwood Voice, I’m Persephone Rose. This is how we got here.
For the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to work as an intern at Redwood Voice. As my time here comes to a close, I look back on the experience and am filled with gratitude. During my time here, I have learned and grown so much, and I owe that to the opportunities this internship has provided me.
Working at Redwood Voice was more than just a job–it was an education. Before I started, my knowledge of filming and editing was extremely limited. I had never used a DSLR camera before, and my experience with editing software was very limited, so I felt like I had to learn a foreign language. I would frequently come to my boss, Meng Lo, with questions. Meng, being the wise coach that he is, did not answer all my questions. Instead, he pointed me in the right direction so I could get there myself. I studied advice from experts in the craft, and with each project that I worked on, I could practice and apply what I had learned. This process ensured true learning instead of mere memorization.
An emotional Coach Quick receives praise from his friends, family, and coworkers at a recognition assembly held at Smith River School. Photo Credit: Jayden Cornett
The first few videos I made were short, documentary-style videos. One of these was a feature on Ron Quick, who was a finalist in the US Cellular Coach of the Year competition. Another was a video promoting positivity surrounding pit bulls. As I spent time with Coach Quick, local pit bull owners, visiting the great people (and dogs) at the animal shelter, I was so inspired by the passion that these good people have for the important things in their lives. I was honored to be able to present them to the community. These interactions with people were as valuable to me as the skills I learned.
Filming the pit bull video. Photo Credit: Persephone Corvid Rose
I also had the opportunity to be involved in the preparatory stages of a media program that is about to be implemented for youth in Hoopa. I got to observe and participate in discussions and planning sessions in which we tackled real problems and worked together to create solutions. Then, I assisted in curriculum development for this program. I appreciated my involvement in this process so much, because I felt that my perspective and contribution was valued, and because I realized how unique this opportunity was.
Still shot from The Unwashed, Jayden’s final video project on hand washing. Photo Credit: Anna Lor
My final project before the close of this internship was a short video reminding people to watch their hands. This time, I was able to break from the standard documentary format and go with a more creative narrative form. Knowing the value of hands-on work, Meng let me take the reins from the beginning. I created the storyboard, wrote the script, set up lights, acted, directed, edited, and even composed some of the music. Along the way, Meng would take opportunities to advise me and teach me.
I do not take for granted the great experience that I have had here at Redwood Voice. With all the education, skills, and experience I have received, I am walking away a more experienced, prepared, and confident person than I was walking in. Now, I will take all that I have been given at Redwood Voice and use it to do good wherever I may go from here.
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This article was written by Jayden Cornett.
Telling the untold stories of Del Norte and Tribal Lands through amplified youth voices.
