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Tag: Billy Frank Jr.

Legacy Washington and WTBBL partner to make books available to a Broader Audience

Legacy Washington and WTBBL partner to make books available to a Broader Audience

Hundreds of audio books are produced in the studios of the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) Audio Book Production Department. These books, narrated by volunteers, are normally only available to WTBBL patrons and patrons of other National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped network libraries. But a collection of Legacy Washington titles produced in audio format by WTBBL is now available on the Washington Anytime Library platform for public libraries. These titles are published by, and…

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Writing contest champions share their winning letters

Writing contest champions share their winning letters

Three Washington students showed that the emotional power and inspiration of the written word is as strong as ever. The three state champions in this year’s Letters About Literature contest read aloud their winning entries before a large audience in the Capitol Friday, sharing life lessons they learned from authors who inspired them. Sponsored by the Washington State Library – a division of the Office of Secretary of State – and the Library of Congress, the competition encourages students to…

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State presents Medal of Merit, Medal of Valor

State presents Medal of Merit, Medal of Valor

Secretary of State Wyman speaks about the Medal of Merit during the ceremony in the House Chambers to present that award and the Medal of Valor. (Photo courtesy Legislative Support Services Photo Department)  It was a day of applause and deep respect and admiration, as the state of Washington awarded the  Medal of Merit to two game-changing citizens and the Medal of Valor to Snohomish County communities and tribe who responded heroically to the Oso landslide tragedy one year ago….

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RIP Billy Frank Jr.: `A singular force’

RIP Billy Frank Jr.: `A singular force’

(Photo courtesy of Laura Mott) Billy Frank Jr., a central figure in the decades-long struggle for tribal fishing rights, has died at age 83. Frank, longtime chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Evergreen trustee and civic activist, was subject of a well-received Legacy Project book, “Where the Salmon Run: The Life and Legacy of Billy Frank Jr.”  It is available free online, and for sale in print.It was written by Trova Heffernan and published by the University of Washington…

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Remembering Boldt Decision 40 years later

Remembering Boldt Decision 40 years later

Judge Boldt (Photo courtesy of Washington State Historical Society) Wednesday marks the 40th anniversary of a landmark tribal fishing rights ruling by a federal judge that pleased Native Americans and shocked and angered non-Indian fishermen around the Northwest. The polarizing decision unleashed both celebrations and protests on Washington rivers. Major court opinions rarely carry the name of the judge, but the case U.S. v. Washington is commonly known as the Boldt Decision, after George Hugo Boldt (right), a federal district…

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Need a holiday gift? Buy a book from the Legacy Project!

Need a holiday gift? Buy a book from the Legacy Project!

Looking for holiday gift ideas? Give the gift of a well-written book! Thanks to the Washington State Legacy Project, we can all learn about some very influential Washingtonians. The subjects of these biographies and oral histories include statewide officeholders, congressional leaders, judges and other remarkable citizens. Many of these subjects, in the face of controversy and the most challenging circumstances, refused to give up and inspired change. There are plenty of biographies to choose from, no matter what your interest…

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Billy Frank Jr. biography now in paperback

Billy Frank Jr. biography now in paperback

The Legacy Project’s acclaimed biography of Nisqually tribal leader Billy Frank Jr. is now available in paperback. The paperback version of “Where The Salmon Run: The Life and Legacy of Billy Frank Jr.” is being sold by the University of Washington Press. The paperback version costs $27.50. The new paperback book will eventually be available for purchase at the Secretary of State’s front desk in the Legislative Building or through the office’s Online Store. Frank is one the most famous…

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Nisqually Tribe hosts Billy Frank event Tuesday

Nisqually Tribe hosts Billy Frank event Tuesday

The Nisqually tribe is hosting a speaking event and book signing on Oct. 30 featuring Billy Frank Jr. and Trova Heffernan, author of the new book about the iconic tribal leader. The event runs from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Nisqually Tribe Library at 4820 She-Nah-Num Dr. SE on the Nisqually Reservation, located between Lacey and Yelm. Heffernan, a writer with the Secretary of State’s Legacy Project, will speak at a second event at the tribal center, which begins…

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Launching Saturday: new book about tribal icon Billy Frank Jr.

Launching Saturday: new book about tribal icon Billy Frank Jr.

He’s one of the most famous Native Americans in Washington history, and an instrumental figure in the long and sometimes bitter battle over Indian fishing rights. A new and privately funded book about the life of Nisqually tribal leader Billy Frank Jr. is officially being launched Saturday afternoon in Olympia. The book is entitled “Where the Salmon Runs: The Life and Legacy of Billy Frank Jr.” The book launch is from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at The Evergreen State College…

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“Speaker for the Salmon” featured on Library poster

“Speaker for the Salmon” featured on Library poster

A long-time activist of tribal rights who has a reputation for conversing with salmon is the latest face to appear on a State Library’s Washington Reads poster. That poster, now available for download and purchase online, features the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s Billy Frank Jr., the longtime chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. Frank is one of the Pacific Northwest region’s foremost Native American leaders, and he also is involved with several civic activities, including being a longtime trustee of the Washington State Historical Society….

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