RIVER ROOTS/RUSH STURGES
MAKING HISTORY: Keeya Wiki, now 18, of the Yurok Tribe
For decades, the Klamath River in Northern California was divided by several dams. But now, after years of fighting, local Native tribes have succeeded in getting most of the dams removed. To celebrate, dozens of Native teens decided to kayak down the free-flowing river. They would be the first people to descend the full length of the Klamath in more than 100 years.
Native tribes have long lived near the Klamath River, catching fish from its salmon-filled waters. But starting in the early 1900s, the construction of six dams blocked the river and caused salmon populations to drop. Native people spent decades leading protests and speaking with lawmakers about how the dams were harming their food source and way of life. In 2022, the United States government finally approved a plan to remove the four largest dams. The demolition project was completed in October 2024.
On June 12, 2025, the teens set out on their monthlong journey. Keeya Wiki, an 18-year-old member of the Yurok Tribe, says that the trip was life-changing. “It’s meant everything to me,” she adds.