Majority of Federally-Recognized Tribal Nations in Washington State Oppose Initiative 2117

October 2, 2024 – No on 2117  today announced that the majority of federally-recognized Tribal Nations in Washington state oppose Initiative 2117. To date, 17 Tribal Nations in Washington state have endorsed the No on 2117 campaign because of the devastating impacts the initiative would have on air, water, salmon, and transportation. “From warming salmon streams to eroding shorelines, Northwest Tribes know firsthand the need to protect our lands and waters, and to defeat Initiative 2117,” said Suquamish Tribal Chair and President of the Associated Tribes of Northwest Indians Leonard Forsman. “We join together in strong opposition to Initiative 2117, which threatens the lands, cultures, and traditional ways of our region and our communities.”

“We are the stewards of this land, and we must protect it,” said Puyallup Tribal Chairman Bill Sterud. “We are opposing Initiative 2117 because it would damage everything from the forests to the waters to the air we breathe.”

“Initiative 2117 would harm the Quinault people because it eliminates a key source of funding for relocating our villages outside of the tsunami zone and would leave us that much more vulnerable to threats from coastal erosion and flooding,” said Quinault Indian Nation President Guy Capoeman. “These are our ancestral lands, where generations of Quinault have lived and worked. We must relocate our homes, businesses, school, and fire and police services to higher ground. Losing support for this relocation through Initiative 2117 would represent another broken commitment to Tribal Nations.”

“The Cowlitz Indian Tribe stands united with Tribal Nations across the state in opposition to Initiative 2117,” said Cowlitz Tribal Chair William Iyall. “Our people have been dedicated stewards of our lands and waters since time immemorial. We believe that I-2117 threatens the progress we’ve made together as Washingtonians to protect our communities from the devastating impacts of climate change, and we encourage everyone to join us in voting no this November.”

“The Quileute people are the ancestral stewards and caretakers of A-Ka-Lat, today known as James Island — a place where our ancestors lived, hunted, and flourished for as long as the ageless memory of legend recalls,” said Quileute Nation Chairman Douglas Woodruff, Jr. “Clean and safe water and healthy and abundant salmon are central to our history and our way of life. Initiative 2117 represents an existential fight for the future of our communities, our salmon, and our way of life. We are proud to join Tribal Nations from across Washington to oppose this dangerous initiative.”

“The Tulalip Tribes have always been dedicated to preserving our natural resources and cultural heritage. Initiative 2117 poses a significant threat to our way of life by undermining our efforts to protect the environment and sustain our communities,” said Tulalip Tribal Chairwoman Teri Gobin. “This initiative would jeopardize critical funding for salmon recovery, clean water, and wildfire resilience projects that are essential to our survival and prosperity. We stand united with other Tribal Nations in Washington state to oppose Initiative 2117 and safeguard our future.”

“This is a huge moment for our coalition in the fight to say No on I-2117,” said Squaxin Island Tribal Chairman Kris Peters. “We are very proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with a majority of tribes within the state of Washington to express how much of a threat that we believe this initiative is to our collective progress on the environment. I am grateful to all of the tribal leaders and community members who have stepped up to meet the moment and defend our waters and homelands.”

If passed, Initiative 2117 would slash funding for significant Tribal-led projects and harm Tribal environmental leadership and conservation efforts, including:

• Direct financial assistance to help Tribes grappling with environmental impacts, like protecting communities from sea level rise. This includes relocation of the Quinault Indian Nation’s Queets Village and funding for the Coastal Hazards Assistance program.
• Transit projects on Tribal lands, including Lummi Transit electric bus acquisition, the Spokane Tribe Moccasin Express, Snoqualmie Tribal Transit Program, Cowlitz Indian Tribe Transit Program, and Clallam Transit Rural Service.
• Fish habitat restoration and salmon recovery programs across Washington state, with many projects impacting Tribal Nations, to the tune of at least $216 million.
• Tribal-led clean energy projects, including funding for Yakama Solar and a Clean Energy Innovation Center at NW Indian College.
• Direct financial assistance to support Tribal Nations to address the impacts of environmental health disparities, including funds to modernize Tribal schools.
• Wildland fire management training for Tribal communities.

In addition to the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, the following Tribal Nations have endorsed the No on 2117 campaign:

• Chehalis Tribe
• Cowlitz Indian Tribe
• Hoh Tribe
• Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
• Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
• Nisqually Indian Tribe
• Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
• Puyallup Tribe of Indians
• Quileute Tribe
• Quinault Indian Nation
• Skokomish Indian Tribe
• Snoqualmie Indian Tribe
• Spokane Tribe of Indians
• Squaxin Island Tribe
• Suquamish Tribe
• Tulalip Tribes
• Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

More information on the impacts of I-2117 to Tribal communities is available in this fact sheet.

More than 500 organizations and Tribal Nations oppose I-2117 and have endorsed the No on 2117 campaign, including firefighters, small businesses, doctors, nurses, and public health leaders, labor unions, environmental groups, and community organizations. You can view the full list of organizations opposing I-2117 here.