"The authors have written a history not only of a single event but also of the fight for Native American rights in America. The combination of legal analysis and oral history (some fascinating people tell their stories) produces a balanced, thoughtful look at a subject that is as timely and important now as it was years ago."―Booklist, December 15, 2000

"The author tells a dramatic and complex story with clarity and insight, but his greatest triumph in Messages is that he conveys the inner peace and traditional Indian world view that carries Frank through as an activist and negotiator for Native American rights, and as the spokesperson for the salmon, the river, and the circle of life. An excellent book."―Wildlife Activist, Autumn 2000

"A powerful story of late twentieth-century Aboriginal resistance and empowerment...Wilkinson provides a delightful and informative text that should do much to raise awareness of Aboriginal rights while promoting cross-cultural understanding and respect."―International Journal of Maritime History

"Billy Frank Jr., has been celebrated as a visionary, but if we go deeper and truer, we learn that he is best understood as a plainspoken bearer of traditions, a messenger, passing along messages from his father, from his grandfather, from those further back, from all Indian people, really. They are messages about the natural world, about societies past, about this society, and about societies to come. When examined rigorously―-not out of any romanticism but only out of our own enlightened self―interest―-these messages can be of great practical use to us in this and future years."―Charles Wilkinson, from the Introduction

"The Boldt decision profoundly changed natural resource management in the Pacific Northwest. This book clearly builds an historical base to help guide us today. The wisdom and patience of Billy Frank fill virtually every page. It is required reading for anyone interested in salmon preservation."―Governor Daniel J. Evans

"Charles Wilkinson evokes the character and culture of the Nisqually people as well as their deep love for their land. From Chief Leschi to Billy Frank, we see the long thread of cultural continuity, culminating in modern times with this fight for justice."―Ada Deer (Menominee), University of Wisconsin―Madison

Through the life of Billy Frank, Jr., the Nisqually Indian who led the fight for native treaty fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest, this book provides a vivid and dramatic account of the people and issues involved in this ?uncommon controversy.?