In Memoriam: James “Jim” Marsh

James Ryan Marsh was a proud Cayuse man who never forgot his heritage. This pride in his lineage was reflected by his deep sense of responsibility he carried as both a Umatilla Commissioner and Fish and Wildlife Commissioner of 15 years.

Through his bloodline, he felt a deep responsibility to advocate for his people. All the animal people, both four-legged and those of the water, as well as for the land that he cherished. Jim approached his responsibilities and position on the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) with determination and deep reverence.

“Jim and I both joined CRITFC in 2010,” recalls CRITFC executive director Aja DeCoteau (Yakama). “From the very beginning, his dedication to the work and to the people we serve was unmistakable.”

His commitment to service followed in the footsteps of his mother, Atway Rosemary Narcisse, who had served on the Board of Trustees for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), the Fish and Wildlife Commission, and as a CRITFC Commissioner.

“Jim’s passion was unwavering. He was a dedicated Fish and Wildlife Commissioner and CRITFC Commissioner, only missing one or two meetings out of all his delegations during all his illness,” recalled Corinne Sams, CTUIR Board of Trustees member and former CRITFC Chair. “He could name every creek, tributary, river, hill top, and road in our Usual and Accustomed areas.”

His time on the Nchi’ Wána [“big river,” the Sahaptin name for the Columbia River, pronounced “IN‘chee wana”] began in his earliest days. Jim started fishing from the Columbia River scaffolds in the 1970s as a small child of just ten years old. He canned, filleted and prepped his own fish from that time on. He lived the life he wanted others to have.

As part of his duties as a commissioner and provider for his tribe, Jim was a passionate and vocal advocate for the Pacific lamprey. He served on the CRITFC Lamprey Committee and drew wisdom from tribal elders, often citing Atway Elmer Crow, Jr. (Nez Perce) as a trusted leader in lamprey stewardship. “The eels are struggling, they are struggling to get upriver, the dams are slowing their passage, there is less snowpack, but with our tribes translocation efforts we are starting to get a foothold to get eels back into our systems, and it is working,” Jim remarked at the November 2024 CRITFC Lamprey Committee meeting. “We need to continue to advocate for the tribes and for eel.”

Jim’s dedication to this ancient being began long before the recent surge in scientific research, population recovery efforts, Umatilla River ceremonial harvests, and public education about this eel-like fish that is one of the First Foods of Columbia River Plateau peoples. His unwavering commitment to all fish was inclusive and steadfast, honoring the Pacific lamprey as sacred.

In 2011, Jim Marsh made history as part of the first buffalo hunt by Oregon tribal members in over a century. For years, he had heard stories about his great-grandmother’s buffalo-hide teepee, the last of its kind in their family. His great-grandfather was the last family member to travel across the Rocky Mountains to hunt bison before the federal government restricted travel from their reservation and the decimated herds were confined to Yellowstone National Park.

Jim wouldn’t let that tradition die. He pushed the CTUIR wildlife program to seek access to hunt buffalo, prodding officials when paperwork lay dormant. He applied for and was appointed to the Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2010, specifically to pursue this goal. “Our tribe has been hunting buffalo for centuries. It’s one of our traditional foods,” he said in a 2011 article covering the hunt.

Sharing that tribal chiefs cited buffalo more than a dozen times in their 1855 treaty. “It was important to me to try to return that tradition to my people.”

After months of negotiations, permission to hunt in Yellowstone was granted. Jim passed the first shot to his, then 23-year-old, son Francis. “For me and my son to come up here as Cayuse, like our ancestors, it’s a great honor,” he shared with the news outlet.

The next morning, Jim himself took down a second bison, completing a hunt that restored a tradition lost for over a century. True to his values, the meat was shared with family members and elders who could no longer hunt, as well as provided for ceremonial observances in the longhouse.

Jim understood that the health of his people was directly linked to the land and to the “Big River.” He long maintained that pollution of the Columbia River directly impacted the health of his people. When new pollution rules were implemented to protect fish consumption, Jim spoke about the connection between clean water and tribal survival.

“Jim monitored toxins in our waters and foods,” Sams said. “We never had a meeting without him mentioning PCBs and other toxics that impact our fish and wildlife.”

Jim never stopped advocating for the river, land, and the animals that depend on them. He spent part of his final day attending online meetings as a CRITFC commissioner from his hospital room at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. This dedication to protecting the land, water, and Treaty rights was fundamental to who he was.

“Jim approached his role as commissioner with unwavering commitment, always showing up, always advocating with heart and clarity. Beyond that, Jim brought a warmth and humor that made even the hardest days lighter. He was not only a trusted colleague but a true friend. I will miss him deeply,” said DeCoteau.

Home is where his heart lived, and the ancestral lands of his people were his home. He spent much of his life amongst those animals and in the hills of his homelands. Hunting, fishing and teaching.

“My relatives dry fish, can fish, smoke fish and eat fresh fish all year long,” he said to the Confederated Umatilla Journal reflecting on fishing traditions passed down through generations. “Now I’m teaching my son how to fish and it’s good to know that when he gets to be my age the fish will be safe to eat. And it’s not just about Indigenous natives, it’s for everybody, for the health of everybody.”

Jim’s family exemplified this commitment to traditional foods. “My family eats fish at least three times a week and when me and my boys sit down to eat we eat a whole fish,” he shared. “I can it, smoke it and freeze it. My winter supply is sockeye and I catch springers for summer and fall.”

His dedication to fish consumption studies came naturally, having been raised by a mother who participated in the fish consumption research conducted by CRITFC in the 1990s. This work was crucial in establishing the scientific foundation for protecting tribal fishing rights and ensuring the safety of traditional foods.

His advocacy for clean water and healthy fish was part of his larger vision. He knew that environmental protection and cultural preservation were inseparable. Addiction, poverty and generational trauma were always at the forefront of his concerns for Tribal members on the Big River and at home. He spoke loudly and often of the perils of fentanyl and what it is doing to Indian Country. Jim did not shy away from difficult subjects but instead faced them with the steady voice of a man who had seen the best and worst of what life could offer his people.

When asked about the implementation of new pollution rules, he didn’t mince words: “The ultimate goal is to reduce toxics that go into the water, fish and people. Do the words just exist on paper or are they applied and put into practice?”

James Ryan Marsh lived his principles. He was a hunter who shared his harvest, a fisher who fought for cleaner waters, a commissioner who fought for his people, and a father who protected his legacy of culture. His voice will echo in the chambers long after his time and will be reflected in policies he helped shape that will live long into the future. The traditions he helped restore, and the clean water that future generations will inherit will be a result of his covenant of his people, to take care of the land and all the animal people. That legacy will be because of his unwavering commitment to his people and their homelands.