Nez Perce Tribe hosts HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Nez Perce Tribe hosts HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Lenore, Idaho- On July 24, 2025, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., visited the Nez Perce Tribal fish hatchery to meet with tribal leadership and key Fisheries staff to discuss the importance of preserving traditional foods and the importance of tribal cultural knowledge in addressing the health and well-being of tribal populations.

In attendance were Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee (NPTEC) Chairman Shannon F. Wheeler, Secretary Rachel P. Edwards, Treasurer Ryan Oatman, and NPTEC member Samuel Penney, along with Joseph Oatman, Director of the Department of Fisheries Resource Management; Becky Johnson, Production Division Director as well staff from the HHS and the Nez Perce Tribe.

The meeting opened with the Nimiipuu Flag Song and Honor Song which were performed by Nez Perce drum group Waaph Qah Qun. Welcoming remarks were given by Chairman Wheeler and Mr. Oatman. Chairman Wheeler emphasized the importance of the government-to-government relationship between the Nez Perce Tribe and the United States, the impacts and obligations that are in place, while Mr. Oatman shared background on the hatchery’s origins and the vital role it plays in sustaining the Nez Perce people’s connection to hipt (first foods), the nacox (salmon) and heesu (eel/lamprey) .

Secretary Kennedy toured several parts of the hatchery, including the incubation area, rearing and trough rooms, water supply system, rearing ponds, and the new kelt facility. He also viewed juvenile and adult spring Chinook salmon, adult steelhead kelts, and adult lamprey. The visit offered hands-on moments—feeding fish and holding lamprey—that provided deeper insight into the Tribe’s vision for restoration, food sovereignty, and cultural survival.

“Secretary Kennedy was able to witness our efforts and better understand the tribal perspective on our first foods, and food sovereignty and the state of peril salmon are in now.  This visit was a powerful reminder of the work our people carry out every day—much of it unseen but deeply rooted in our obligation to future generations. Our nacox and heesu – are not simply resources. They are our relatives and our life sources. As Nimiipuu, we understand that we are part of a sacred circle. It is our duty to ensure that this balance endures, so that the heartbeat of our people continues for those yet to come,” stated Chairman Wheeler.