Band of Colville Indians rally for Canadian case

In a caravan of cars and trucks, they travelled north from Kettle Falls, past Northport, to a bluff overlooking both the Columbia River and the Boundary-Waneta Border Crossing that wouldn't let them – or anyone else from the United States – across into Canada.

Section:Gallery

Sun., Oct. 11, 2020

Yvonne L. Swan stands with Colville Confederated Tribe members and supporters during a gathering at the Sharpening Stone - a rock where generations of tribal members would sharpen their knives before hunting or fishing together - in support of Rick Desautel's case in the Canadian Supreme court arguing for the Sinixt peoples' right to hunt traditional lands in Canada on Thursday, October 8, 2020, near Kettle Falls, Wash. Desautel, a member of Lakes Tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shot a cow elk in British Columbia in 2010 to assert the Sinixt people's rights to hunt the traditional lands and to challenge a Canadian declaration 60-years-ago that the Sinixt people were extinct.

Tyler Tjomsland The Spokesman-Review
Twa-le Swan passes through a shaft of light as she moves past the Sharpening Stone – a rock where generations of tribal members would sharpen their knives before hunting or fishing together – while joining Colville Confederated Tribes members in support of Rick Desautel’s case in the Canadian Supreme court arguing for the Sinixt peoples’ right to hunt traditional lands in Canada on Thursday, October 8, 2020, near Kettle Falls, Wash. Desautel, a member of Lakes Tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shot a cow elk in British Columbia in 2010 to assert the Sinixt people’s rights to hunt the traditional lands and to challenge a Canadian declaration 60-years-ago that the Sinixt people were extinct.

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Clem Nicholas runs his fingers over grooves worn into the Sharpening Stone - a rock where generations of tribal members would sharpen their knives before hunting or fishing together - while joining Colville Confederated Tribes members in support of Rick Desautel's case in the Canadian Supreme court arguing for the Sinixt peoples' right to hunt traditional lands in Canada on Thursday, October 8, 2020, near Kettle Falls, Wash. Desautel, a member of Lakes Tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shot a cow elk in British Columbia in 2010 to assert the Sinixt people's rights to hunt the traditional lands and to challenge a Canadian declaration 60-years-ago that the Sinixt people were extinct.

Tyler Tjomsland The Spokesman-Review
Clem Nicholas center, drums with tribal members as they gather at the Sharpening Stone - a rock where generations of tribal members would sharpen their knives before hunting or fishing together - while joining Colville Confederated Tribes members in support of Rick Desautel's case in the Canadian Supreme court arguing for the Sinixt peoples' right to hunt traditional lands in Canada on Thursday, October 8, 2020, near Kettle Falls, Wash. Desautel, a member of Lakes Tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shot a cow elk in British Columbia in 2010 to assert the Sinixt people's rights to hunt the traditional lands and to challenge a Canadian declaration 60-years-ago that the Sinixt people were extinct.

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Linda Desautel, left in white, is overcome with emotion after she spoke to Colville Confederated Tribe members about her husband Rick Desautel's case in the Canadian Supreme court arguing for the Sinixt peoples' right to hunt traditional lands in Canada on Thursday, October 8, 2020, near Kettle Falls, Wash. Rick Desautel, a member of Lakes Tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shot a cow elk in British Columbia in 2010 to assert the Sinixt people's rights to hunt the traditional lands and to challenge a Canadian declaration 60-years-ago that the Sinixt people were extinct.

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Linda Desautel, center in white, looks skyward and cheers with friends and Colville Confederated Tribe members as they rally in support of her husband Rick Desautel, whose case in the Canadian Supreme court arguing for the Sinixt peoples’ right to hunt traditional lands in Canada was first heard on Thursday near Kettle Falls, Wash.

Tyler Tjomsland The Spokesman-Review
Colville Confederated Tribe members and supporters gather at the Boundary-Waneta Border Crossing in support of Rick Desautel's case in the Canadian Supreme court arguing for the Sinixt peoples' right to hunt traditional lands in Canada on Thursday, October 8, 2020, near Northport, Wash. Desautel, a member of Lakes Tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shot a cow elk in British Columbia in 2010 to assert the Sinixt people's rights to hunt the traditional lands and to challenge a Canadian declaration 60-years-ago that the Sinixt people were extinct.

Tyler Tjomsland The Spokesman-Review
Virginia Redstar, center, with the River Warrior Society sings as she joins Colville Confederated Tribe members and supporters at the Boundary-Waneta Border Crossing in support of Rick Desautel's case in the Canadian Supreme court arguing for the Sinixt peoples' right to hunt traditional lands in Canada on Thursday, October 8, 2020, near Northport, Wash. Desautel, a member of Lakes Tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shot a cow elk in British Columbia in 2010 to assert the Sinixt people's rights to hunt the traditional lands and to challenge a Canadian declaration 60-years-ago that the Sinixt people were extinct.

Tyler Tjomsland The Spokesman-Review
Twa-le Swan holds her daughter Nakaia Swan as the pair join Colville Confederated Tribe members and supporters at the Boundary-Waneta Border Crossing in support of Rick Desautel's case in the Canadian Supreme court arguing for the Sinixt peoples' right to hunt traditional lands in Canada on Thursday, October 8, 2020, near Northport, Wash. Desautel, a member of Lakes Tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shot a cow elk in British Columbia in 2010 to assert the Sinixt people's rights to hunt the traditional lands and to challenge a Canadian declaration 60-years-ago that the Sinixt people were extinct.

Tyler Tjomsland The Spokesman-Review
Virginia Redstar, center, with the River Warrior Society checks her phone as storm clouds roll in following a gathering of Colville Confederated Tribe members and supporters at the Boundary-Waneta Border Crossing in support of Rick Desautel's case in the Canadian Supreme court arguing for the Sinixt peoples' right to hunt traditional lands in Canada on Thursday, October 8, 2020, near Northport, Wash. Desautel, a member of Lakes Tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shot a cow elk in British Columbia in 2010 to assert the Sinixt people's rights to hunt the traditional lands and to challenge a Canadian declaration 60-years-ago that the Sinixt people were extinct.

Tyler Tjomsland The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo