OPINION: Youth Salmon Protectors inspire change in Idaho

People may not like controversial protest tactics, but it is a way to bring change. 

This past Halloween, the Youth Salmon Protectors held a rally calling for attention towards the inaction of President Joe Biden in the fight to protect the Pacific Northwest’s salmon. This rally described Biden’s inaction as a “massacre,” continuing the group’s dedication to holding politicians accountable.  

The rally showcased a YSP member holding a cutout of an orca, the member then stabbed the cutout-orca while other members threw fake blood. This was to represent the damage the loss of salmon has on other wildlife, especially orcas. 

The YSP is supported by the Idaho Conservation League. The group was founded in order to raise awareness for the depleting salmon population and the impact on Indigenous communities. The YSP protest and rally methods vary but are continuously focused on making people uncomfortable. This consistency can work for and against the group.  

In this day and age, conversations surrounding the climate and other environmental topics typically make people uncomfortable. When it comes to salmon, conversations surrounding tribal treaties and treatment need to be at the forefront. However, this requires us to reflect on colonialism and the United States’ historical treatment of Indigenous peoples.  

The YSP’s mission puts Indigenous tribes as integral members of the decision-making process. By doing this, they are prompting the greater community to make these reflections and seek to educate themselves, creating a sense of un-comfortability that inspires action. However, this takes effort and a considerable amount of self-awareness. 

There are many in our society that would prefer to ignore the past and current treatment of tribes in the U.S. Often, people of this mindset are unwilling to see other perspectives. The YSP’s in-your-face tactics can be off-putting to people like this.  

While this would not typically be a major issue, it becomes one when the politicians who control whether the four lower Snake River dams belong to this group of people. This is why voting for candidates who reflect your viewpoints and are willing to take action is so important. 

The YSP may be loud and intense at times, but they still make every effort to make a difference. The symbolic protest of stabbing a cutout orca may cause community members to think twice when endorsing a politician or driving past a dam. However, the more impressive change the YSP has inspired is happening in the Boise School District.  

Shiva Rajbhandari, the YSP’s leader, was the first student elected to the Boise school board. This creates an environment in which the young members of society actually have an influence on the way their schools are run. This can bring the conversation surrounding salmon, Indigenous tribes and dams to the classroom. 

 Whether it is teenagers with Just Stop Oil throwing soup on Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers,” climate activists spilling unpaid for milk in a supermarket or the constant postcard sending to Sen. Mike Crapo and Governor Brad Little advocating for salmon protections, most everyone will find something they do not like about another’s activism. The YSP have taken on an issue many adults and politicians are afraid of addressing and they are doing it in a way that causes the community to react and make a change. 

Mackenzie Davidson can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @mackenzie_films