Three Pillars of Our Work
Our programs flow from the same source: the rights and responsibilities Nimiipuu people have carried since time immemorial, affirmed in the 1855 Treaty.
Salmon Recovery
Healthy salmon runs are essential to Nimiipuu culture, food systems, and treaty-reserved fishing rights. We support Tribal-led restoration and habitat protection.
Learn more →Youth & Cultural Education
From canoe building and paddle carving to fishing, hunting, and land stewardship — we teach children the traditional skills needed to live treaty-reserved lifeways.
Learn more →Treaty Rights
The rights reserved under the 1855 Treaty are living rights, not historical footnotes. We advocate for their full recognition and connect our community to resources.
Learn more →Rooted in the 1855 Treaty
The 1855 Treaty with the Nez Perces is not a relic. Article 3 secured fishing in reservation waters, at usual and accustomed places, and the privilege of hunting and gathering — rights that belong to Nimiipuu people in perpetuity.
Our work begins here: in the conviction that these rights must be real, practiced, and passed on — not merely acknowledged on paper.
Read our mission →"Our mission is to uphold the rights reserved under the 1855 Treaty with the Nez Perces by passing on Nimiipuu traditional knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to our children and youth, including fishing, hunting, canoe building, and care for the land and waters, while supporting Tribal-led efforts to protect, restore, and sustain salmon for future generations."— Nimiipuu 54 Mission Statement
Gary F. Dorr
Standing Red Bear
Nimiipuu / Nez Perce
Guided by Nimiipuu Knowledge and Responsibility
Gary F. Dorr — also known publicly as Standing Red Bear — is a Nimiipuu / Nez Perce tribal member whose work has centered on treaty rights, salmon recovery, the Lower Snake River, canoe revitalization, and intergenerational cultural education.
In 2017, Dorr testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans, arguing that meaningful salmon recovery in the Columbia-Snake basin requires confronting the four lower Snake River dams. His advocacy spans policy, community canoe programs, youth education, and broader Native environmental-justice organizing.
Read the full bio →Support Our Work
As a nonprofit, Nimiipuu 54 depends on the generosity of supporters who believe in treaty rights, salmon recovery, and the future of Nimiipuu culture. Every contribution makes a difference.
Make a Donation →Community Resource Guide
Find tribal, local, and national resources for health care, family support, youth services, education, housing, jobs, language, culture, legal help, and crisis assistance.
Browse the Guide →