Native American Fishing Essay

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Native Americans have the complete right to hunt, fish, and gather on any land. This right has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in multiple cases.
Historically, fishing has always been an important activity in Native American culture and their tribes. Especially in the Pacific Northwest, where American Indians are highly dependent on the harvesting of salmon. Fish contributed to a major portion of most Native American diets, and dried fish provided an important source of material in trade. In the early treaties between the United States and Native American tribes during The Westward Expansion in 1810, many tribes had to sell their land in exchange for full fishing rights due to fish being such an important part of their culture. Native …show more content…

Native American fishing and hunting rights are protected under treaties between the U.S. and Native American tribes. They gave up most of their land just to have certain rights. These included the right to hunt, fish, and access resources from off-reservation land. These rights are permanent and are protected under the 6th Article of the Constitution which states that "all laws (and treaties) made by the United States are 'the supreme law of the land'". This means that all treaties between the U.S. and Native American tribes must be respected. In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that Native Americans are also protected under the "Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment". Not only does this amendment dismantle racial segregation, but it takes away discrimination and bigotry against various groups, including Native Americans and their fishing rights. They cannot be treated differently when it comes to access of resources. The Supreme court has also established a principle of "usual and accustomed" grounds. This states that Native Americans have a right to access resources from their hunting and fishing grounds, even if it's off-reservation. In more recent years, Native Americans