Meet Billy Frank Jr.

Billy Frank Jr. Statue Project

Billy Frank Jr., born on March 9, 1931, on the banks of the Nisqually river in Washington, was a Nisqually tribal member and fought tirelessly to ensure that the United States government would honor the promises made in the treaties with Washington tribes. During his efforts, Billy Frank Jr. was arrested more than 50 times for exercising his treaty-protected right to fish for salmon, the first arrest being when he was 14 years old. He helped to stage “fish-ins” as protests, where he and others demanded that treaty tribes have the right to fish in their usual and accustomed places, a right that had been reserved in the treaty of Medicine Creek. His activism and perseverance paved the way for the “Boldt decision” in United States v. Washington, which affirmed the right of Washington treaty tribes to take up to half of the harvestable salmon in western Washington, reaffirmed tribal treaty reserved rights, and established the tribes as comanagers of the salmon resource.

Courtesy of Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Billy Frank Jr. dedicated his life advocating for equality, justice, and environmental protections. He fought to protect tribal treaty rights, native cultures and traditions, and the natural resources they are based upon, including fish and shellfish. Despite long-standing persecution, Billy Frank Jr. worked tirelessly to protect salmon for the benefit and enjoyment of all Washingtonians. When salmon populations plummeted toward extinction, eventually to the point of being listed as threatened under the federal endangered species act, Billy Frank Jr. vocally advocated to unify people to reverse the trend. His endless work on salmon recovery was based on inclusivity and an understanding that tribal treaty rights will help recover salmon and would benefit the entire society and the economy in enumerable ways.

In recognition of his distinguished accomplishments, Billy Frank Jr. was awarded the Albert Schweitzer prize for humanitarianism, the common cause award for human rights efforts, the American Indian distinguished service award, the Washington state environmental excellence award, and the Wallace Stegner award. Billy Frank Jr. was posthumously awarded the presidential medal of freedom by President Barack Obama.

Billy Frank Jr.’s unwavering commitment to the fight for equality and the fight against racism and abuse was of global influence. He has been likened to other humanitarians and civil rights leaders such as Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, and Nelson Mandela. Billy Frank Jr. passed away on May 5, 2014, but he continues to be an inspiration to many domestically and abroad. He is a significant historical and civil rights figure who is worthy of recognition and inclusion in the national statuary hall collection.

Photo courtesy of This is Indian Country, licensed via Creative Commons.

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Timeline of Billy Frank Jr.

This timeline explores the life and legacy of Nisqually activist Billy Frank Jr. Billy will be honored with a statue in National Statuary Hall in 2025.

March 9, 1931

Billy Frank Jr. is born on March 9 to Willie Frank Sr. (Qui-Lash-Kut) and Angeline Frank.

1935

First arrest

At 14 years old, Billy is arrested for the first time for fishing off reservation in his family’s traditional fishing area on the Nisqually River.

1952

Military service

At age 21, Billy joins the U.S. Marines, where he serves for two years.

1963

The Washington departments of Fisheries and Game establish state authority to prohibit net fishing by Indians in off-reservation rivers.

1963-1970

The Fish Wars

Tribal citizens organize fish-ins to protest the violation of their treaty-protected rights. A self-proclaimed “getting arrested guy,” Billy goes to jail more than 50 times for fishing off-reservation and becomes a leader in the fight for tribal treaty rights.

1970

The United States government sues the state of Washington on behalf of the tribes for violating their treaty-protected right to fish.

1974

U.S. v. Washington – the “Boldt Decision”

Federal Judge George Boldt issues his decision in U.S. v. Washington, upholding tribes’ right to 50% of salmon, steelhead and other fish, and establishing them as co-managers of the fisheries.

1974

Tribal leaders create the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission to give “the treaty tribes the capability of speaking with a single voice on fisheries management and conservation matters.”

1977

Billy is elected to represent Medicine Creek Treaty tribes on the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. “The fighting, that is, the fish-ins and demonstrations, is over now, I hope. My past is in the past; I’m looking forward to what will happen in the next 10 years as far as the development of the resource is concerned.” He serves on the commission for the rest of his life, most of those years as chairman.

As the Nisqually Tribe’s fisheries manager, Billy leads the effort to restore flow to the Nisqually River. More than a decade later, the city of Tacoma will build fish ladders on Alder Dam and agree to provide instream flows for fish and pay for environmental damages.

1977

The Nisqually Tribe opens the Kalama Creek Fish Hatchery on the Nisqually River.

1987

Billy is awarded the Washington State Environmental Excellence Award from the state Ecological Commission.

1988

Billy’s commitment to forging relationships with other natural resources managers leads to the Timber/Fish/Wildlife Agreement, a cooperative science-based management approach ensuring a healthy timber industry while also protecting fish and wildlife.

1989

Federally recognized tribes in Washington sign the Centennial Accord with Gov. Booth Gardner to provide a framework for a “government to government relationship and implementation procedures to assure execution of that relationship.”

1991

The Nisqually Tribe builds the Clear Creek Hatchery on lands within Joint Base Lewis-McChord that had been taken from the Nisqually Reservation by the city of Tacoma.

1992

Billy is awarded the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism for exemplary contributions to humanity and the environment.

1994

Judge Edward Rafeedie rules in a subproceeding of U.S. v. Washington that the tribal treaty right to harvest includes shellfish on public and private tidelands.

2001

Under Billy’s leadership, treaty tribes file suit for the court to determine the state of Washington has a treaty-based duty to preserve fish runs and habitat, seeking to compel the state to repair or replace culverts that impede salmon migration.

2006

The University of Colorado at Boulder’s Center of the American West awards Billy with the Wallace Stegner Award for his contribution to the cultural identity of the West.

2007

Puget Sound commercial shellfish growers and 17 treaty tribes in western Washington sign the Shellfish Agreement to address treaty shellfish harvest rights, preserve the health of the shellfish industry and provide greater shellfish harvest opportunities for everyone in the state.

2007

Federal district court rules that state culverts that block fish and diminish salmon runs violate treaty fishing rights.

2010

Billy leads the Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative, calling on the federal government to meet its obligation as trustee to align its agencies to protect treaty rights and lead a better coordinated salmon recovery effort.

2012

Billy testifies before the Senate of Indian Affairs Committee on Climate Change.

2013-2018

Federal district court orders the state to significantly increase the effort to remove and replace state-owned culverts that block habitat for salmon and steelhead by 2030. The state will appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which will uphold the decision in 2018.

2014

May 2014 Billy Frank Jr. walks on at the age of 83.

2015

President Obama posthumously awards Billy with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

2016

Billy Frank Jr. is inducted into the National Native American Hall of Fame for his advocacy as a Native American rights and environmental leader.

2021

Washington state passes legislation for a statue of Billy to represent the state in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

2023

The U.S. Navy announces plans to name a Navajo-class towing, salvage and rescue ship after Billy, in recognition of his service in the U.S. Marine Corps and his leadership in the fight for treaty rights. It will be the first ship named after an individual Native American.