Billy Frank Jr. (March 9, 1931 – May 5, 2014) was a notable Native American environmental leader and advocate for treaty rights. As a member of the Nisqually tribe, Frank led a grassroots campaign in the 1960s and 1970s to secure fishing rights on the Nisqually River, located in Washington state. His efforts centered around promoting cooperative management of natural resources. Frank dedicated his life to activism, serving as the chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission for over thirty years.
During the Fish Wars, Frank became a prominent figure in advocating for tribal fishing rights. He organized a series of "fish-ins," events that culminated in the landmark Boldt Decision. This legal ruling, named after federal judge George Hugo Boldt, affirmed that Washington state tribes were entitled to fifty percent of the annual fish harvest.
In recognition of his significant contributions, Frank was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in November 2015. The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge was renamed in his honor in December 2015. Billy Frank Jr. continues to be considered to be an important bridge between Western and Native American societies in regards to environmental sustainability.
Early life
Billy Frank Jr. was born in Nisqually, Washington in 1931 to parents Willie and Angeline Frank. His father, known as Qui-Lash-Kut, lived to the remarkable age of 104, while his mother, Angeline, lived into her 90s. Frank spent his formative years on a six-acre property called Frank's Landing, situated along the Nisqually River. His father had purchased this land after their forced relocation from the reservation due to the expansion of an adjacent Army base. Frank received his education in Olympia, concluding his formal schooling upon completing the ninth grade. He subsequently worked in construction during the day and engaged in fishing during the night.
In 1952, at the age of 21, Frank joined the US Marine Corps, serving two years.
Activism
Frank's journey as an activist began in 1945 when he was arrested at the age of 14 while fishing on the Nisqually River. Frank was fishing for salmon when two game wardens confronted him. Allegedly, they forcibly pressed his face into the mud as he resisted. This incident marked the start of Frank's extensive involvement in civil disobedience. In the 1950s, his motivations for engaging in illegal fishing were not primarily politically driven, unlike other activists such as Robert Satiacum, who actively pursued legal cases related to illegal fishing.
"Fish-ins"
Based on treaties negotiated with the U.S. government in the 1850s, tribal nations in western Washington retained the right to fish, hunt, and gather shellfish at their customary places, shared with all U.S. citizens. However, when tribal members sought to exercise these treaty rights outside of reservations, they faced arrests for fishing in violation of state laws.
By the 1960s, salmon populations had significantly declined due to unregulated commercial fishing and the construction of hydroelectric infrastructure. Frank emerged as a key leader in the "fish-in" protests that unfolded during the Fish Wars of the 1960s and 1970s. These demonstrations gained nationwide attention and even attracted participation from celebrities. Notably, actor Marlon Brando was arrested during one of these protests in 1964. Coordinated by the newly formed Survival of the American Indian Society (SAIA), a group in which Frank played a pivotal role as a founding member, the "fish-ins" drew inspiration from the civil rights protests in the southern United States. However, they were adapted to address the specific issue of fishing rights and reflected the Native Americans' rejection of cultural assimilation. The SAIA worked to reframe the history of Native American arrests related to fishing rights, extending their protests back to the 1930s.
In 1963, Frank formed a lasting partnership with Native rights activist and strategist, Hank Adams. Due to his unwavering commitment to the cause of treaty fishing rights, Frank was arrested over 50 times during the Fish Wars of the 1960s and 1970s.
The tribal struggle eventually reached the U.S. courts, resulting in U.S. v. Washington. In 1974, federal judge George Hugo Boldt issued a ruling that favored the native tribes. Known as the Boldt Decision, it established the 20 treaty Indian tribes in western Washington as co-managers of the salmon resource alongside the State of Washington. The ruling reaffirmed tribal rights to fifty percent of the harvestable salmon returning to western Washington.