"Northwest Tribal Leaders Fight for Government To Uphold Treaties"

"A proposed coal terminal and affiliated railway for Cherry Point, Wash., has sparked concern about treaty violations and environmental degradation for many Pacific Northwest tribal leaders, 10 of whom rallied together in Washington, D.C., on Thursday morning against what they said is government disregard for their treaties.

About a block from the White House, three Lummi Nation sisters crooned a song referencing the 1855 U.S. treaty with Pacific Northwest Native American tribes, reserving certain rights for their fishing, hunting and sacred grounds. 'What about those promises? Fills my heart with sadness, I can’t do this on my own, we’ve got to come together and be strong,' the women sang.

But Tim Ballew II, chairman of the Lummi Nation, said those rights are in jeopardy."

Grace Toohey reports for the McClatchy Washington Bureau November 5, 2015.