Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-01-28
YAKIMA CH|EFTA|NS
STAND BY TREATY
SENATE CHAMBER RESEMBLES
COURT SCENE OF NATIVE
ROYALTY
CHIEF MENINoCK SPEAKS
Protests Violation of Agreement
Made by Governor Stevens at
Walla Walla TN 1855.

Coming all the way from Yakima
to fight for their right to fish at their
ancient fishing grounds which were
given to them by Governor Isaac I.
Stevens back in the year 1855,
twenty-five full blooded Indians Of
the Yakima tribe made their appear
ance yesterday at public hearing be-
fore the joint judiciary committees
of both the House and Senate. The
Senate chamber, where the hearing
was held. resembled an Indian VII
lage.
The Indians had been in the city
for the previous two days appear
ing before the supreme court on
case which deals with their fishing
rights.
Costumes are PICTURESQUE.
CARRIED in their picturesque native
costumes Of many hues, beaded vests
and fancy head dress, these chiefs
and sub-chiefs looked as though they
might have stepped from some Indian
legend
A man no doubt who knows, more
about Indians and Indian history
then any other y the state of WASH
ingtop is F. A. Garrecht. U. s. dis
trict attorney in eastern Washington
who is the official guardian for the
Eastern Washington Indians and es
pecially the Yakima Indians. Re-
Gently they had large pow-wow and
made Mr.. Garrecht an honorary
Chief
Mr.. Garrecht gave short explana-
tory talk before the two committees
telling how Governor Stevens on
June 9, 1855, made treaty at Walla
Walla with the Yakima and. other
tribes giving them the right to fish
and hunt According to Garrecht
this treaty has been faithfully kept
by the indians. Under the present
laws Of Washington. the Indians are
not permitted to fish at PrOsser
dam, their ancient fishing grounds.
and are unable to understand why
they should not do so. Under the
treaty they continued to fish which
caused their arrest many times.
Chief MeninOcks Tells About Treaty.
After Mr.. Garrecht's talk. Chief
George MeninOck, chief of the Yak
ina tribe and son OF old Chief Meni-
mock. one of the original signers OF
the treaty with Governor Stevens.
who was most eloquent, spoke thru
Mrs. Kate Williams. his interpreter.
After Meninock's address, Chief
Jim Wallagha spoke through Mrs.
Williams
Salmon, deer, root and berries
were given to the Red Men by the
Great Father to keep him alive"
said Chief Wallaha, "and the river
the mountain and the sun, were the
three witnesses to the treaty which
was made between Governor Stevens
and the Yakima Indians which gave
them the food"
MOrthLand Introduces Bill.
The bill permitting Indians to fish
was introduced this week to the
Senate by Senator Morthland Of Yak
ina. The bill provides that the
Indians be allowed the privileges OF
of fishing at their ancient fishing
grounds at prosser Falls made by
Governor Stevens.
Immediately after the chiefs fin
ished their talks Senator Palmer
made a motion that the bill be rec
omended for passage. Senator
Loomis of Grays Harbor. who was
against such hasty passage said that
it was no time to act upon such a
question in the presence Of an audi
ence, and that he wished the bill to
be properly discussed by the judic-
iary committees.
Senator Morthland was in favor OF
taking the bill up more thoroughly