In
the mid-1800s, Isaac Stevens, the first governor of
the Washington
Territory, negotiated treaties
with Native American tribes for the peaceful settlement
of their traditional lands. By signing the “Stevens
Treaties,” tribes reserved the right to continue
traditional activities, such as hunting.
The
24 tribes that have off-reservation hunting rights
in Washington
can set hunting regulations
for their tribal members. Those tribes can allow members
to hunt on open and unclaimed land – public land
that is managed in a way that is consistent with hunting – within
their ceded area or within an area proven to have been
traditionally used by the tribe.
