titó•kan: people

The 6-member Sprit of the Salmon Fund Board includes one tribal representative from each of the four member tribes, the CRITFC executive director, and the CRITFC finance director.

Ryan Smith
Warm Springs

Mr. Smith is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, where he serves on the Natural Resources Committee. He is also a commissioiner of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.

Jay Minthorn
Umatilla

Mr. Minthorn is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, where he serves as the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee. He is also the treasurer of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.

Larry Greene
Nez Perce Tribe

Jon Matthews
Nez Perce

Mr. Matthews is the finance director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. Mr. Matthews has also served as the former General Manager, Nez Perce Tribal Enterprises; former President of Kyotee Management, a business consulting firm; and as the former Economic Development Planner for the Nez Perce Tribe.

Olney Patt, Jr.
Warm Springs

Mr. Patt is the executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and the former chairman of the Warm Springs Tribe.

Fidelia Andy
Yakama Nation

Fidelia Andy, whose Indian name is Tom·sis·nye, is a member of the Yakama Nation. She was elected to the Yakama Tribal Council in 2006, serving on a variety of committees, including the fish and wildlife committee. One of her duties as a member of the fish and wildlife committee is to represent the Yakama Nation as a commissioner of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, where she is currently the vice chairwoman. Ms. Andy has served on the Spirit of the Salmon Fund board since her appointment as a CRITFC commissioner in 2006. She is also the co-vice-chair of the National Tribal Environmental Council.

Ms. Andy was raised on the Yakama reservation, where she learned the tribal language and culture from her elders-teachings that she passes on to her children and grandchildren. She also participates in the traditional Wash'ut religion, serving as a medicine singer.

"The spirit of the salmon is important to me,” says Andy. “I was taught by my elders that the salmon is who we are and why we exist today.”