Julian Matthews

Board Member, Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, Lewiston, ID

September 9, 2024

On a scorching afternoon in Lewiston, Idaho, Julian Matthews met with us on the banks of the Snake River to discuss his work as an activist. Julian was born in Coeur D’Alene Idaho, and currently lives in Pullman, Washington where he serves as a board member of the Chamber of Commerce in addition to working for Human Resources in Nez Perce Tribal Enterprises.Throughout his life Julian has been a passionate advocate for environmental issues and Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) treaty rights.

Not content with the status quo, Julian sees it as his responsibility to work towards a just and equitable future for his community. Those values are exemplified in his current role as a board member of Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, a non-profit that formed around protesting the transport of Exxon Mobil’s megaloads through tribal lands in 2013. The megaloads were massive shipments of oil refinery equipment en route to the Tar Sands in Alberta. First Nations in Canada opposed them and the protests were initiated as an act of solidarity. Today, Julian is working towards breaching the lower four Snake River Dams alongside cultural preservation initiatives, and programs aimed at uplifting tribal youth.

From the outside, many of the battles Julian is fighting seem sisyphean, but that doesn’t seem to phase him; in his mind it's just a matter of time. “If you have a commitment…if you just keep pushing it and pushing it and pushing it…eventually they’re gonna give.” If the fire in his eyes was any indication, he won’t be giving up any time soon.

by Ben Anderson