Billy Frank, Jr.

Remember that this class will work as a collective. This means that we will show care for everyone, help one another learn, help one another understand, work together, talk together, share our ideas, and work to trust one another.

As a whole class, review your shared values. Use these during your discussions.

A. Warm up

Think about the questions below. Talk about your ideas with your classmate(s).

1. Do you or your family like to go fishing?
2. Do you live near a river or body of water?
3. Are there rules about fishing in your area?
4. Have you ever heard of a “sit in”? What do you think it is?
5. Have you ever heard of a “fish in”? What do you think it is?

B. Vocabulary Preview

In this section, you will preview the vocabulary from the reading. You can check your answers to Exercises 2-3 afterward by visiting: Answer Keys by Chapter.

Exercise 1:

These are the words that you will learn in this chapter. How many words do you already know?

Exercise 2:

Choose the best word or phrase to match each definition. Use a dictionary to help!

1. A formal agreement between governments (noun)
   1. Protest
   2. Civil Disobedience
   3. Treaty
2. Laws that show you are able to do or have something (noun)
   1. Protest
   2. Rights
   3. Indigenous
3. A type of protest where people do not leave a place (noun)
   1. Fishery
   2. Nisqually
   3. Sit-in
4. An area where you can catch fish (noun)
   1. Nisqually
   2. Tribal Land
   3. Fishery
5. The area of an Indigenous tribe or nation (noun phrase)
   1. Fishery
   2. Tribal Land
   3. Civil Disobedience
6. A type of protest where people do not leave a fishing area (noun)
   1. Treaty
   2. Tribal Land
   3. Fish-in
7. An action to show that something is wrong or unfair (verb)
   1. Rights
   2. Protest
   3. Nisqually
8. Original to a land (adjective)
   1. Tribal Land
   2. Nisqually
   3. Indigenous
9. A type of protest where people do not follow the law (noun phrase)
   1. Civil Disobedience
   2. Nisqually
   3. Fishery
10. The name of an Indigenous tribe in Washington State (noun)
    1. Nisqually
    2. Indigenous
    3. Tribal Land

Exercise 3:

Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence. Please note: screen readers will read the blank spots as “underscore.”

1. The _ people in this country have cared for the land for many years.
   1. fishery
   2. Indigenous
   3. protest
2. The two governments signed a peace _.
   1. treaty
   2. protest
   3. civil disobedience
3. Billy Frank, Jr. worked to protect the _ of the_Tribe.
   1. protest, tribal land
   2. rights, Nisqually
   3. sit-in, Nisqually
4. Boycotts, marches, and strikes are all examples of _.
   1. civil disobedience
   2. fisheries
   3. rights
5. People work for the fish industry in Washington State because there are many _.
   1. protests
   2. rights
   3. fisheries
6. A _ and a _are very similar. The protesters stay in one place to show that they belong there.
   1. fish-in, sit-in
   2. fish-in, treaty
   3. fish-in, Nisqually
7. Sarah returned to her _ after she finished college. Her family has always lived there.
   1. tribal land
   2. protest
   3. treaty
8. Julian participated in the Black Lives Matter _.
   1. fish-ins
   2. protests
   3. fishery

C. Prepare to read

Get comfortable in your seat. Pay attention to your body and your place (i.e., your environment and the position of your body). Take three slow breaths. Now you are ready to read.

D. Read all about it!

Billy Frank, Jr.

Billy Frank, Jr. fished on his tribal land almost every day. One day, in 1945, the police arrested him for fishing in his own river! As they took him away, he said, “Leave me alone… I fish here. I live here!” (Davis). Billy Frank, Jr. was Indigenous. He was from the Nisqually tribe in Washington State, USA. The Nisqually people are fishing people. They protect and take care of the rivers and fisheries. The water and fish are important to the Nisqually spiritual traditions and culture.

The government said that it was illegal for him to fish in the Nisqually River. Billy Frank, Jr. did not accept this. After he came out of jail, he continued to fish. The state continued to arrest him and his friends. This happened over and over.

Billy Frank, Jr. was a leader of civil disobedience. He was arrested more than 50 times for fishing on his own people’s river. He and his tribal community organized protests. They knew about sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement, so they created fish-ins and other demonstrations. They had to fight for their rights because the U.S. government did not honor the treaty they made.

After many years of activism, a federal judge made a decision. Judge Boldt stated that the tribal communities had the legal right to fish. They always had the right, and they would never lose it again. Billy Frank, Jr. received many awards and honors for his activism. He continued to work with local fisheries to protect the waters, fish, and treaty rights.

E. Grounding

• Notice your feelings about the reading.
• Which parts gave you those feelings?
• Why?
• Now let go.
• You can take three deep breaths, stretch, or count down from ten.

You can choose to talk about your reactions or not. Maybe you want to think or write quietly, or maybe you want to talk. Our reactions teach us about our beliefs and experiences.

F. Discussion

Read the questions below, then look at the reading again. Talk about the questions with your classmate(s). Where did you find the answers? Show (quote) the answers from the reading if possible.

1. Who was Billy Frank, Jr.?
2. What is important to the Nisqually people? Why?
3. Why did Billy Frank, Jr. go to jail?
4. How many times did the police arrest him?
5. What type of protest did Billy Frank, Jr. and his community create?
6. How did Billy Frank, Jr. become a leader?
7. How did Judge Boldt’s decision help the tribal communities?

G. Topics for Writing

1. Write a conclusion statement for this reading. The statement needs to give the main idea of the reading.
2. Do you know someone in your life that created change in their community? What did they do? What did they want to change?
3. Do you know about someone in history that created change in their community or country? What did they do? What did they want to change?
4. This reading gives an example of civil disobedience. What does civil disobedience mean to you? When should we choose civil disobedience? Why?
5. Protests like sit-ins and fish-ins can feel scary. But people protest because they know that it is right. Also, they do not protest alone; they have support with their community and a plan. Write about a time when you felt scared to do the right thing, but you did it anyway.
   • What was it?
   • Did you have support?
   • Did you make a plan with others?
   • What did you gain?

H. Project!

Option 1:

The reading shows that “fish-ins” were similar to “sit-ins” during the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Do an internet search about the famous sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. Find information in English or in another language.

Find answers to the questions below. Share your notes with your partner or small group:

• Who participated in the sit-in?
• What were they protesting?
• What happened after the Greensboro lunch counter sit-in?
• What questions do you have about the sit-in movement?

Option 2:

This reading talks about the Nisqually River. What bodies of water are in or near your community? How do people protect the waters and the fish? What are some ways you can help protect bodies of water in your area? Research about the waters and fish and then share your ideas with your classmate(s).

Option 3:

Research more about acts of civil disobedience in history. Find one more example of a protest and civil disobedience. This could be from any country you choose. Find information in English or in another language. You can read a website, an article, or an infographic, or listen to a video, an interview, or a podcast.

1. Choose one text–that is, one website, article, infographic, video, interview, or podcast.
2. Summarize that text–that is, say the main idea and key details.
3. How is that text similar to the reading about Billy Frank, Jr.? Do the creators make similar points? Do they have similar opinions or feelings about civil disobedience?
4. How is that text different from the reading about Billy Frank, Jr.? Do the creators make different points? Do they have different opinions or feelings about civil disobedience?

I. More Information

• Native Languages of the Americas (Article): Nisqually Story The article that tells about the beginning of the Nisqually.
• salmondefense (Animated Video): sčədadxʷ (salmon) (4:57). The video shows animated pictures of fish and the river. There are images of fish under the water and of Billy Frank, Jr. on a small boat talking about the journey and cycle of the fish. There are animated pictures of Nisqually people fishing. There are animated pictures of people holding climate activist and Indigenous rights posters. There are animated videos of people taking care of the fish and the trees growing.