Published by

K Mark Schofer

We spend many weekends driving between Portland and Seattle. We are always thrilled by the views in Nisqually. The refuge has recently been renamed in honor of Billy Frank. (Thanks Obama) . That of course led me to research the man. And what a man he was.

And today March 9th is his birthday.

Billy Frank Jr. (March 9, 1931 – May 5, 2014) was a 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 served as the chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission for over thirty years.^[1]

Frank’s journey as an activist began in 1945 when he was arrested at the age of 14 while fishing on the Nisqually River.^[2] 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 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.^[10]

In 1963, Frank formed a lasting partnership with Native rights activist and strategist, Hank Adams.^[11]

Hello,

I’m Mark

His friends observe Mark seems wired a little differently. Perhaps it’s more likely that noticing little things often missed by others is a relic of a quieter, simpler time. He has a way with words, which he refuses to let be hindered by sub-par typing skills. People have great stories to tell if you sit and listen.

A belief dear to Mark is that there is certain beauty in the world. You simply have to look for it.