Last week there was the 50 year anniversary of the famous and very influential Boldt decision, formally known as United States v. State of Washington. Federal District Judge George Hugo Boldt handed down his decision on February 12, 1974, and this landmark ruling dramatically altered the management of the Puget Sound salmon fishery by affirming that under the terms of the 1854-56 treaties, certain tribes were entitled to 50 percent of the harvestable catch of salmon and steelhead in western Washington State. This decision was a significant affirmation of tribal sovereignty and treaty rights, setting a precedent for co-management of natural resources between tribes and state agencies.
To celebrate the anniversary and help educate about this important decision we have curated a short explainer video by the Northwest Treaty Tribes, and some of the news coverage from last week from a couple of U.S. news outlets. This decision was also influential in the future ways that co-management evolved in Canada.