Tony Washines "Kywamat"

Tony "Kwyamut" at naming ceremony for "Kee Keet Kum." Taken at Powaankute August 24, 2013.

As a Yakama elder and fisherman, Tony assists with numerous Wa'ashat ceremonies throughout the usual and accustomed areas of the Fourteen Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama people. Tony's family harvests salmon from tribal fishing sites on the Klickitat River using ancient and present day fishing techniques. He is often called upon for his extensive knowledge pertaining to fishing, family lineage, land, resource, and oral history. He dedicates much time to family as well as passing information to the younger generations. 


"It was a wonderful utopia for a teenager, to live off the land literally. We have a sense of independence and taking care of our own and being self-sufficient. That's what this land taught us." - Tony Washines


Tony is featured in the following: