SEPT 11 & 12TH
FREE THE SNAKE FLOTILLA
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SEPT 11 & 12TH FREE THE SNAKE FLOTILLA 〰️
OUR LANDS, OUR WATERS, OUR FUTURES
WE BELONG TO THE LAND
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EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED
OUR ORIGINAL LAW and life ways were based on the sacredness of all things, reciprocity among and between Nimíipuu people and the more‑than‑human world - land, water, food and all of creation. We are bound by responsibilities as much as by kinship to live as real human beings.
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TREATIES PROTECT OUR HOMELANDS & PEOPLE
NEZ PERCE TREATIES are integral to our survival, protecting our ability to remain Nimíipuu in our Homelands - to live on and with our lands, waters and sacred foods as The People. Treaties protect our Traditional Territories, First Foods, Lifeways and future survival.
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FIRST FOODS, SECURITY & SOVEREIGNTY
NIMÍIPUU FIRST FOODS are essential to who we are as a People and a lived expression of our interconnectedness and kinship with all of creation. Each food is a relative with whom we have a reciprocal, place‑specific, sacred binding responsibility. Growing food and protecting our traditional foods, hunting lands, fish runs & foraging grounds protects Nez Perce sovereignty and helps us to restore historical foodways, cultural strength, language and ceremony.
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WE ARE SALMON PEOPLE
For Nimíipuu, salmon are not a commodity - THEY ARE RELATIVES. Since time immemorial, salmon have returned to us year after year, offering their bodies so that our people may live. The river carries the salmon, the salmon sustain the people and the people are responsible for protecting both. When the river is healthy, salmon return. When salmon return, the people are fed - physically, culturally and spiritually. Our well-being depends on the health of the river, the salmon and the lands that sustain them. This relationship is based on respect, reciprocity and responsibility - when we respect the river and the salmon, we protect the future of the people. Our duty to speak for the salmon comes from this ancient agreement: when we care for them, they continue to care for us. When they suffer, our people, culture and future suffer as well.
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STRENGTHENING OUR CIRCLE
ELDERS AND YOUTH are at the center of our communities - their strong bond strengthens our circle, passing on traditional knowledge, language and practices. Our work is intergenerational and culturally based, connecting elders, community, leaders and youth to carry on wisdom from generations before and to protect generations to come. Working together across generations makes a movement stronger and builds relationships throughout our circle.
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CANOES ON THE WATER - BRINGING THEM HOME
NIMÍIPUU CANOES (líy’es) arise from a way of life rooted in kinship with land, water and First Foods. They carried our people within a living system of reciprocal responsibilities - moving with the rivers and seasons to care for salmon, roots, berries and all that sustains Nimíipuu life. Our treaties protect these sacred relationships, not as history, but as living commitments. Reviving canoe culture today carries that circle of life forward, strengthening our responsibilities to the lands and waters and to future generations.
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OUR FUTURE IS INDIGENOUS
The Nimíipuu worldview teaches that survival is not about taking as much as possible, but about honoring relationships. Life is a web of relationships sustained through balance and respect. Humans are not above the natural world but part of it – all life is connected.
NIMÍIPUU PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT is a voice for our lands, our waters and our futures. We are committed to protect our Treaty Rights, Homelands, first foods and sacred relatives for future generations.
TREATY RIGHTS - SAFEGUARDING LANDS, WATERS & LIFEWAYS
Rivers give fish; soils give roots and people tend both to keep the circle alive.
FIRST FOODS
NIMÍIPUU GROWN
qoq'áalx̣
RESTORING CONNECTION, Feeding People, Caring for Land
CARRYING BUFFALO FORWARD
WE ARE SALMON PEOPLE
CANOES CARRY US
EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED
Grizzlies (x̣áx̣aac) & wolves (hîmiin) help keep the land in balance, just as clean water & healthy forests sustain all living beings. Protecting them protects us. Wolves kill elk, stopping overgrazing so grasses, berries and salmon streams stay healthy. Grizzlies dig soil (helping plants), eat most salmon after spawning (bringing ocean nutrients into the forest) and keep other grazers in check — all of which supports the berries and trees we rely on. Animals, plants, waters, lands, people – we each have a role. Diminish one, and we all suffer. Our survival depends on respecting these relationships and taking responsibility for the world that sustains us.
NIMÍIPUU youth
GET INVOLVED
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![Free the Snake flotilla]()
FREE THE SNAKE FLOTILLA
JOIN US SEPT 11th - 12th for the 2026 FREE THE SNAKE GATHERING at Hell's Gate State Park (Group Shelter #6) in Lewiston, ID. Time: TBD (Friday evening, Saturday morning and afternoon). Mark your calendars to help build support to Free the Snake & restore a healthy river system, salmon runs and the future we all share. See you on the river.
EVERY VOICE IS A CRACK IN THE DAMS!
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![Indigenous community leaders advocate to Breach the Snake River Dams.]()
HONOR THE TREATIES
Understanding Nimíipuu treaty rights is key to understanding our present and future. These agreements protect more than access to land and resources - they protect culture, foodways, identity and our future. We invite you to explore the issues that matter most to Nimiipuu People and how honoring treaties supports justice, resilience and survival. Contact us to see how you can make a difference.
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![A bison resting in a grassy field with yellow and green vegetation, small rocks, and scattered branches.]()
CARRY BUFFALO FORWARD
Bringing buffalo to Nimíipuu homelands is a commitment to feeding our people with strength & dignity, food security & sovereignty. Invest in the health of our people, vitality of our lands & continuation of First Foods traditions.
We encourage enrolled members to express their interest in seeing buffalo restored to Nimíipuu lands and stay engaged with this initiative.
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![Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment Gardens and Orchard Project]()
NIMÍIPUU GROWN
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER
Come help garden, tend and expand our Youth Garden & Orchard in Lapwai. Your time and skills can make a difference.
Experienced growers, bring your garden knowledge & tools, but all are welcome regardless of experience.
Contact Alexandra for details.
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![Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment Youth Project]()
NIMÍIPUU YOUTH PROGRAM
We are currently working with the Lapwai Elementary School 4th and 5th Grade After School program. Our work is intergenerational and culturally based, connecting elders, community, leaders and youth to carry on wisdom from generations before and to protect generations to come. Projects include: NIMÍIPUU GROWN Garden & Orchard Project, canoe carving and paddle making, arts and crafts and education on treaty rights & environmental issues.
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![Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment Canoe Project]()
EVERY VOICE IS A CRACK IN THE DAMS
GET INVOLVED - FREE THE SNAKE. Our well-being depends on the health of the river, the salmon and the lands that sustain them. If we accept that salmon are on the brink of extinction, then we must act now. Restoring free‑flowing rivers by breaching these dams is urgent; waiting until tomorrow will be too late. This is not just for our future. This is for our entire planet.
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![Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment Free the Snake Flotilla.]()
GATHERINGS & EVENTS
Join our camp to protect Mother Earth, sacred relatives and generations to come. Learn more about issues that matter most to Nimíipuu People, our efforts & why these efforts matter to us and to the shared future of this region.
Check out our EVENTS page for a complete calendar and for more information on events, conferences, actions and more. -
![Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment Free the Snake Flotilla. Overhead view of a large group of kayakers in the water forming a protest message that says 'FREE THE SNAKE' with a large inflatable snake.]()
URGENT ISSUES
The Nimiipuu story is not only about the past. It’s about the future we are working to protect. What happens to the land, water, salmon and First Foods affects the future of Nimiipuu People and all people.
Learn more about issues that matter most to Nimiipuu People, our efforts, why these efforts matter to the shared future of this region and how informed support helps carry these responsibilities forward.
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![Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment Youth Group Paddle Making Project]()
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER
Support the future we’re responsible for. Backing Nimíipuu youth, culture, foodways and land protection means standing up for what lasts - community, balance and responsibility. What we can do together begins with what YOU do now. We’re counting on all of you to stand with us to make a difference.
VALUED PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS