Press release: Marshall protest fisherman's citation dismissedPublished on October 29th, 2009 By NICK P. ANDREW JR.
Jason S. Isaac, the lone protest fisherman who admitted to "illegal fishing" on the Lower Yukon River village of Marshall was initially charged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for fishing in closed waters late September 2009 three months after the fact that the "fish-in" occurred. A letter dated October 21, 2009 from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor; Alaska Region dismissing the violation notice confirmed his exoneration. Jason Isaac is the Ohogamiut Traditional Council President, and the lone Village Police Officer who along with others from Marshall executed a tribally sanctioned directive to provide king salmon to the needy, and to take a stand for their inherent subsistence rights challenged the former Palin Administration, key state and federal fishery managers, and the multi-billion-dollar high seas pollock fishery. Subsistence debates are again heated topics on the state and federal level, and on this round of negotiations, proactive solutions are promising as attested by top government spokespeople at the AFN 2009 Convention. It is only fair that we ask for actions behind all the words and agreements to come. The rural-urban subsistence debate is not about who has preference over fish and game resources in the state, it is a humanitarian issue and a matter of survival for rural Native Alaskans dependant on wild game. The Ohogamiut Traditional Council acknowledges Attorney Jim Valcarce of Bethel for legal counsel and advocacy pro bono, his dedication and willingness to litigate on the tribe's behalf strengthen our endeavors to fight for our inherent subsistence rights. The tribe is also very grateful for Attorney Heather Kendall-Miller of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) for her intervention and determination. Heather tirelessly advocated on the tribe's and Jason Isaac's behalf which led to favorable results. We are also indebted to our regional non-profit the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) for their on-going guidance and technical support. -- Nick P. Andrew, Jr., executive director Contact us about this article at editor@thetundradrums.com |
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