Indigenous youth make history on a changed Klamath River

In 2023 and 2024, four out of six dams on the Klamath River were taken out, in the largest dam removal project in US history. Tribes in the Klamath Basin had been fighting for dam removal for more than a century. This summer, a group of Indigenous youth from multiple tribes made the first descent of the river from its headwaters in Southern Oregon to the Pacific Ocean in Northern California since the dams came out — by kayak. Many of the kayakers had trained for over two years with the program Paddle Tribal Waters.   Jessie Sears, Karuk tribal member and OPB “Oregon Field Guide” producer for Indigenous communities, was there for part of the 300-plus mile, 30-day journey to help document this historic moment. She joins us to talk about the First Descent, how the river has changed, and what it all meant to the Indigenous youth carrying on their ancestors’ work.   -   For more episodes of The Evergreen, and to share your voice with us, visit our showpage. Follow OPB on Instagram, and follow host Jenn Chávez too. You can sign up for OPB’s newsletters to get what you need in your inbox regularly.   Don’t forget to check out our many podcasts, which can be found on any of your favorite podcast apps:HushTimber Wars Season 2: Salmon WarsPolitics NowThink Out Loud And many more! Check out our full show list here.