Celebrating Excellence: Highlights From the 2025 Hall of Fame Banquet & Auction
December 12, 2025
Growing the Steelheaders Commnity
March 5, 2026
The Steelheaders Film Festival returned this year with an evening that celebrated the passion, community, and conservation ethic that define the Association of Northwest Steelheaders.
This year’s festival featured two films highlighting indigenous stories, connections to waterways and what can happen when we work together to restore free flowing rivers.
Oregon Field Guide’s documentary First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath follows a team of whitewater kayakers as they attempt a historic first descent of a long-inaccessible stretch of the Klamath River following the removal of outdated dams. Dam removal was completed in 2024. The film captures both the adrenaline of navigating newly freed rapids and the deeper ecological significance of restoring one of the West Coast’s most important salmon rivers. Through stunning cinematography and personal storytelling, the documentary highlights the river’s cultural and environmental importance while showcasing a powerful moment of renewal for fish, recreation, and river communities alike.
Covenant of the Salmon People is a powerful documentary created by the Nez Perce Tribe that tells the story of the Tribe’s sacred relationship with salmon and their ongoing fight to protect them. Grounded in the Tribe’s treaty-reserved rights and cultural traditions, the film weaves together history, spirituality, and modern advocacy to highlight the deep covenant between the Nez Perce people and the salmon that have sustained them for generations. Through compelling personal narratives and breathtaking footage of the Snake River and surrounding homelands, the documentary underscores the urgency of restoring salmon runs and honoring commitments made in the 1855 Treaty.
The highlight of the night was getting to hear firsthand from the people who not only made the films but were featured in them. After the films, ANWS Executive Director James Adkins was joined on stage for a panel discussion and audience Q&A with the following individuals who developed the films:
Kayeloni Scott, a member of the Spokane and descendant of Nez Perce, is a producer of Covenant of the Salmon People and is leading the Columbia/Snake River Campaign to replace the services and remove the four federal dams along the Lower Snake River. Why do the dams matter? Check out this report from the Department of Interior: Historic and Ongoing Impacts of Federal Dams on the Columbia River Basin Tribes
Jay Hesse is the director of Biological Services for the Nez Perce Department of Fisheries Resources Management. He is featured in Covenant of the Salmon People, and his work on behalf of the Nez Perce has been instrumental in implementing restoration efforts in the Columbia Basin.
Tasia Linwood, a member of the Karuk Tribe, paddled the length of the Klamath River during the filming of First Descent as part of Paddle Tribal Waters, a program led by Rios to Rivers, who provided training and mentorship to a group of Indigenous youth who became the first people to paddle the restored river from source-to-sea.
Jesse Sears, a member of the Karuk tribe, Jessie Sears is a documentary film producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting, focused on the experiences and voices of Indigenous Communities. Jesse served as a videographer and producer on First Descent, and this was her first project she pitched to OPB/Oregon Field Guide.
NW Steelheaders board members Jürgen West and Jason Fornelli helped run the merch table and the raffle!
To everyone who attended, volunteered, purchased raffle tickets, or donated prizes—thank you. Your support fuels our advocacy, habitat restoration efforts, and angler education programs throughout the region.
Did you miss the film fest?
You can catch the films online at the links below.
First Descent: Watch the film here.
Covenant of The Salmon People: Watch the film here.
Want to get involved?
You can also support these important causes, programs, and film makers directly through their official websites:
OPB/Oregon Field Guide (be sure to mention Jesse’s work/First Descent under Why You’re Supporting OPB!)
