A Message from the Colville Reservation: Kaiser Canyon Fire
UPDATED 8/5/2026
I'm reaching out today with some grim news and to request help for the Indigenous peoples of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The Wenatchee River Institute is a proud partner with the šnp̍əšqʷáw̉šəxʷ (p'squosa or Wenatchi) people, and we want to share the message they wish to be spread to the public.
Currently, the Kaiser Canyon Fire is surrounding the Colville Reservation's major town and government hub, Nespelem, and is now over 136,000 acres with 48% containment.* This fire is catastrophic to those who live on the Colville Reservation, with over one thousand people evacuated and many homes already lost to the fire. In addition, the fire caused significant damage to two serving towers, making all power, internet, and fiber infrastructure not operational in Nespelem, the Kartar Valley, and the Colville Agency.
As you may now from our land acknowledgment, part of WRI's mission is to amplify the voices of the original inhabitants of this land. Right now, that means asking our community for help. We want to share some ways to help our Indigenous communities.
Lynn Palmanteer-Holder, the Executive Director of the Wenatchi-p'squosa Advisory Group, stated that "most of our Tribal members do not have insurance; many homes were multi-generational, we have witnessed many vehicles, trucks, and motor homes destroyed, thus, alternative homes are limited. It is my hope to engage on the ground with immediate support."
She has recommended that our resources could do the most good funneled through River Warriors Society, which is a fiscally sponsored project via Indigenous-led nonprofit, xa?xa? Indigenous Birth Justice. They are experienced with this work, especially in the Colville and Spokane Reservations, and are working to provide the most effective and immediate types of donations to wildfire victims. They are working on the ground with an action plan to assist victims with basic needs while they are able to process the trauma, figure out options, and receive guidance for long-term planning.
You can donate to River Warriors Society through one of their main organizers, Faith Zacherle. You can donate via PayPal (@faithzacherle1), CashApp ($FaithZacherle), or Venmo (@faithzacherle76). In the donation description, write "River Warriors Society." See the flyer below for more information and QR codes to PayPal and CashApp.
If you'd like to donate via check, EFT, or credit card towards these efforts, the best way to do this would be to donate through the Cedar Fund of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. This fund is also working directly with River Warriors Society. You can mail checks to:
Cedar Fund
PO Box 150
Nespelem, WA 99155
Note: Put "Wildfire Relief" in the memo. They have a forwarding on their PO Box to a secure location since mail isn't being delivered in Nespelem at this time.
If you have questions about sending checks directly to River Warriors Society, please reach out to Faith Zacherle directly at 509-631-0460. Please note that the Wenatchee River Institute is not able to accept donations on their behalf.
Please consider supporting our Indigenous communities during this traumatic time, as my family and I have. It's going to be a long rebuilding project and we should help where we can. Thank you for reading and supporting!
With gratitude,
Canuche Terranella (he/him)
Executive Director
Wenatchee River Institute
P.S. Since this blog post aired on July 28th, Washington has been drastically affected by more wildfires. For those looking to support North Central Washington (NCW) communities affected by wildfires, the Community Foundation of NCW has a NCW Fire Relief Fund that also welcomes donations. Thank you for supporting these efforts!
*data accurate as of August 5th at 10:00am via Watch Duty.
