YAKIMA, Wash. – Nearly 100 volunteers gathered at the Ahtanum Ridge Tuesday afternoon as a part of Yakama Nation’s 4th annual Earth Day cleanup.
The clean-up, in collaboration with Yakima Chief Hops, tackled three sites, spanning from the top of the hill to the bottom, focusing on removing illegally dumped trash. The area falls within a restricted part of the Yakama Nation reservation, where illegal dumping has been a persistent issue.
Levi Wyatt, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for Yakima Chief Hops, says they’re thankful for the opportunity to be giving back to the community.
“There’s been no lack of garbage to have been picked up today,” said Wyatt. We’re very blessed to be here and also giving back in a way that’s not only benefiting today but regenerating for the future.>
Casey-Mac Wallahee, a Yakama Nation Tribal Council member, was there alongside multiple other councilmembers, helping to clean up the landscape.
“It’s an eyesore. It gets in the water systems. It’s bad,” said Wallahee.
Throughout the day, volunteers from Yakama Nation, Yakima, and Yakima Chief Hops spread out across the ridge, piling up broken glass, shotgun shells, cardboard and tires to be properly disposed of.
Wallahee says the work they are doing today aligns closely with their mission and goals as a people.
“We’re always doing something to try and protect our lands, protect our water, the foods, the resources, because we want to make sure that it’s here for future generations,” said Wallahee. “That’s the work that we’re most involved in, is to take care of these things so that way our children, our children’s children, you know, will be able to enjoy this land here,” he added.
