John Sirois

Traditional Territories Advisor of the Confederated Tribes of Colville Reservation

Methow Valley

August 29, 2024

As the traditional territories advisor of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville reservation, John Sirios stood before us, providing an invaluable educational opportunity. We met him on his ancestral lands in the Methow Valley, x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam, also known as Hummingbird. It was a plot of land purchased by the Methow Conservancy and returned to the Colville tribes with no strings attached in an effort to welcome the Methow descendants back home. Formerly known as the Wagner Ranch, the land sits along the Chewuch river and has become a communal space for the Methow descendants to learn, celebrate, and preserve culture.

John taught us about the creation story of salmon, the struggle within the Colville tribes to find a space to gather, and the uphill battle to preserve language and culture. As he spoke, he also highlighted some of the corporations and dams that oppress their way of life. Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph Dam, cemented in the Columbia river, obstruct the passage of salmon, decimating the fish population, and in turn the culture of the Methow descendants. Learning about this directly from an indigenous perspective was enlightening and lit a fire for the necessity of change. The people of the Colville tribes continue to fight for the removal of the dams, demanding accountability and action for the betterment of all living things.

by Kiana Potter