complete

Chapter 2“I Live Here!”Billy Frank Jr. took his first breath on March 9, 1931, six days afterPresident Herbert Hoover signed “The Star-Spangled Banner” intolaw as the national anthem. One day, Billy would defend his country;then he’d spend a lifetime challenging the nation to rise to its ideals.The Nisqually Indian grew up in a small house on the river, not farfrom the historic Medicine Creek Treaty council grounds. Most peoplewouldn’t have called the Franks rich, but Billy’s father often said theyhad everything and more outside their back window. “When the tide isout, the table is set.” The Nisqually River meandered through Billy’sbackyard, fanning out over the land and flowing into Puget Sound.Nearby, fishermen landed canoes and loaded salmon onto scales,exchanging stories and laughs.The town of Nisqually was small, “a couple of gas stations and atavern,” recalls Herman Dillon, a longtime family friend. The futurechairman of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians met Billy sometime betweensliding into first base and plunging into the river. “You’d think wewere a couple of monkeys climbing trees,” Dillon jokes. They playeda lot of baseball. They spent even more time on the river. And theyfished.Most of Billy’s indelible childhood memories are set in the naturalworld. He grew up a fisherman, like his ancestors. On the same river,31