The Festival of the st??c?as, we are thrilled to celebrate the cultural & ecological restoration of the Deschutes Estuary and the upcoming removal of the 5th Avenue Dam. We are also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Judge Boldt Decision, which reaffirms Washington state Tribal treaty rights by securing an equal share of salmon and co-management of this and other vital resources.
st??c?as (steh-chass) refers to both the landscape and the original inhabitants of the Deschutes Estuary & Budd Inlet. The st??c?as cultural legacy was interrupted by colonial actions like damming the Deschutes River & and the persecution of Squaxin people, who were forcibly removed from access to critical food/medicinal sources of the st??c?as & beyond. Regional indigenous leaders like Billy Frank Jr. were part of a resistance that led to The Fish Wars of the 60’s and 70’s. The 5th Ave dam was a notable site for fish-in demonstrations.
