## 201 2 Annual Convention

Pendleton , OR

R ESOLUTION 

### #1 2

- 54

" R EQUESTING THAT THE 

### U.S. E NVIRONMENTAL 

### P ROTECTION 

### A GENCY



### A CCOMPLISH A 

### F ISH 

### C ONSUMPTION 

### R ATE OF NO LESS THAN 

### 175 GRAMS PER DAY

FOR 

### H UMAN 

### H EALTH 

### C RITERIA 

### R ULEMAKING IN THE 

### P ACIFIC 

### N ORTHWEST 

### ”

PREAMBLE

We

, the members of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians of the United States, invoking the

divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves

and our descendants right s secured under Indian Trea ties, Executive Order s, and benefits to

which we are entitled under the laws and constitution of the United States and several states, to

enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian

cultural values, and other wise to promote the welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish

and submit the following resolution:

WHEREAS

, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) are representatives of

and advocates for national, regional, and specific tribal concerns ; and

WHEREAS , ATNI is a regional organization comprised of American Indians /Alaska

Natives and tribes in the states of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Northern

California, and Alaska; and

WHEREAS , the health, safety, welfare , education, economic and employment

opportunity , and preservation of cultural and natural resources are primary goals and objectives

of the A TNI ; and

WHEREAS, throughout t ime immemorial we as the first people of the Pacific Northwest

have cared for and sustained the First Foods beginning with the pure water that we hold sacred

,A FFILIATED T RIBES OF N ORTHWEST I NDIANS R ESOLUTION #1 2

- 54

201 2 A NNUAL C O NVENTION P AGE 2 and guided by our traditional religious and cultural practices

, we are obligated to take action now

to care for the water for the next seven generations; and

WHEREAS, numerous robust, valid, reputable scientific studies unfortunately have

shown that shellfish and fish, including salmon and resident fish consumed by native people in

the Pacific Northwest, exposes them to toxic contaminants and poses a human health risk ; and

WHEREAS, scientific surveys have shown that native people in the Pacific Northwest

today eat 300

– 500 grams of fish per day which is down from histo rical rates of more than 800

grams per day reflect ing ceremonial, subsistence and other fishing practi ces which are secured

by treaties and executive orders with the United States; and

WHEREAS, ATNI recognizes and appreciates that in 2011 Oregon adopted

, and the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved water quality standards based on a fish

co nsumption rate of 175 grams per day; and

WHER E AS, on May 10, 20 12 the EPA disapproved Idaho ’s request to use a fish

consumption rate of 17.5 grams per day when deriving water quality criteria; and

WHER E AS , tribes need immediate assistance from EPA to continue to build capacity t o

develop and in some cases update tribal fish consumption rates ; and

WHEREAS, tribes in the Pacific Northwest are concerned that EPA has long had

kn owledge of scientifically sound data concerning known tribal fish consumption levels and yet

fail s to enforce existing laws (i.e., the Clean Wat er Act) to protect fish consum ing populations

and acquiesce s to the very industries and c orporations they regulate; and

WHEREAS, tribes in the Pacific Northwest must coordinate to protect a nd improve

human and environmental h ealth through water quality and sediment standards for the benefit of

natural resources, First Foods, and indigenous people everywhere; and

WHEREAS, adopting higher, more accurate f ish c onsumption r ates benefits not on ly

tribal people, but all citizens, in the Pacific Northwest who consume fish and value a cleaner and

more healthy environment; now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that ATNI does hereby request that EPA

immediately take necessary and appropriate steps to establish a federal default fish consumption

rate of no less than 175 grams per day for Oregon, Washington, and Idaho to support and guide

water quality and sediment management standards ; and

BE IF FURTHER RESOLVED

, and to use the EPA General Assistance P rogram to

fund Tribal capacity efforts to develop and update Tribal fish consumption rates.A FFILIATED T RIBES OF N ORTHWEST I NDIANS R ESOLUTION #1 2

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201 2 A NNUAL C O NVENTION P AGE 3 CERTIFICATION

The foregoing resolution was adopted at the 201 2 Annual Co nvention of the Affiliated

Tribes of Northwest Indians, held at the Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Pendleton

, Oreg on on

September 2 4

– 2 7

, 201 2 with a quorum present.

______________________________ ______________________________ Fawn Sharp , President Norma Jean Louie, Secretary