Ani Wiki stood at the finish line with her family. A thick fog hung in the air. Finally, she saw them. Her older sister Keeya and dozens of other teens were paddling their kayaks down the Klamath River. Ani and the rest of the crowd cheered. Some shed tears of joy.

The teens were all from seven Native groups that live near the river. And they had just made history. They were the first people to kayak the full length of the Klamath River in more than 100 years.

For decades, dams had blocked the waterway, which is sacred to many Native people. But by the end of 2024, most of the dams were finally removed. To celebrate, Keeya, 17, and the others spent 30 days traveling the river in June and July (see map). 

Ani will never forget seeing her sister finish the journey. 

“It was so special,” the fifth-grader says.

Ani Wiki stood at the finish line. She was with her family. A thick fog hung in the air. Finally, she saw them. Her older sister Keeya, 17, and dozens of other teens were paddling their kayaks. They were going down the Klamath River. Ani and the rest of the crowd cheered. Some cried tears of joy.

The teens were from seven Native groups that live near the Klamath River. They had just made history. They were the first people to kayak the full length of the river in more than 100 years.

For decades, dams had blocked the waterway. It’s sacred to many Native people. But by the end of 2024, most of the dams were finally removed. To celebrate, the teens spent 30 days traveling the river in June and July (see map). 

Ani will never forget seeing her sister finish the journey. 

“It was so special,” the fifth-grader says.

Ani and Keeya are members of the Yurok Tribe. Their ancestors and other Native groups have lived near the Klamath River for as long as anyone can remember. They built villages along its winding path. They fished in the river, which was filled with salmon. Many Native people consider the river a part of their family.

“The Klamath River is our ancestor,” explains Keeya. “A lot of our culture is rooted in the health and well-being of the river.”

Starting in the early 1900s, six dams were built along the Klamath River. They helped produce electricity for about 70,000 homes. But the dams also harmed the river. 

For one thing, the dams blocked salmon from reaching many of the freshwater streams where they lay eggs. And the dams warmed the water, which allowed diseases to spread among the fish. Over time, the number of salmon in the Klamath River fell by more than 90 percent.

Ani and Keeya are members of the Yurok Tribe. Their ancestors have lived near the Klamath River for as long as anyone can remember. So have other Native groups. They built villages along its path. They fished in the river, which was filled with salmon. Many Native people think of the river as part of their family.

“The Klamath River is our ancestor,” explains Keeya. “A lot of our culture is rooted in the health and well-being of the river.”

Starting in the early 1900s, six dams were built along the Klamath. They helped create electricity for about 70,000 homes. But the dams also harmed the river. 

For one thing, the dams blocked salmon from reaching freshwater streams. That’s where they lay eggs. The dams also warmed the water. This allowed diseases to spread among the fish. Over time, the number of salmon in the Klamath River fell by more than 90 percent.