OPB documents Indigenous youth on a 30-day, 300-mile kayaking journey after largest dam removal in history; Ashland High School senior recounts her experience

By Sydney Seymour, Ashland.news

“The first descent meant everything to me,” said Ashland High School senior Keeya Wiki of the Yurok and Māori tribes. Wiki was one of 28 teen paddlers who kayaked the entire Klamath River this past summer.  

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) premiered in November a 28-minute documentary “First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath” about the 30-day, 300-mile expedition.

The “first descent,” as the group of Indigenous youth kayakers calls it, made history as the first source-to-sea descent of the Klamath since the removal of J.C. Boyle, Copco 1, Copco 2 and Iron Gate dams in 2023 and 2024. Organized by the nonprofit Rios to Rivers and its program Paddle Tribal Waters, the journey celebrated the largest dam removal in history and the resulting free-flowing water. The fight, however, continues with two dams remaining, as previously reported by Ashland.news.

The group of kayakers —  aged 13 to 20 — started at the headwaters of the Klamath in Southern Oregon and ended in Requa, California, on the Yurok Reservation where the river reaches in the Pacific Ocean, also reported earlier by Ashland.news.

Participant Wiki said she wanted to honor her ancestors who fought against dams on the Klamath. The Klamath and its neighboring tribes haven’t had native salmon due to dams and development for over 100 years.

“They worked so hard to ensure that I would have a relationship with the river,” Wiki said, “a river that was healthy and that I could depend on.” 

Film producer and Karuk Tribe member Jessie Sears and her team filmed 10 out of the 30 days of the descent. Sears, whose grandmother was born on the Somes Bar of the Klamath, said it was an emotional experience for her. 

“Getting to see these youth that are so unapologetically Indigenous and themselves was inspiring as someone who’s reconnecting with my Indigenous roots,” she said over Zoom to Ashland.news. “It was like a homecoming for me.” Some of the youth even taught her how to say certain Indigenous words.

Each kayaker trained with Paddle Tribal Waters for one to three years — some traveled to Chile to learn not just how to kayak, but also about river health and the effects of dams worldwide. 

These young kayakers, she said, are protecting and honoring “the seven generations before and after them” — a common way of life in Indigenous communities. She hopes it inspires everyone to live for something outside of themselves, contributing to the “collectivistic culture.”

Filming the first descent

Despite seasickness, back pain, sore shoulders and rashes, the kayakers had to evade rocks against surging whitewater rapids and portage blockages. Sears, alongside main cinematographer Brandon Swanson, faced similar hardships to the kayakers — but in a much heavier canoe and with camera equipment that couldn’t get wet. It was even more of a struggle than Sears anticipated. 

For the first three days, Sears paddled to keep pace with the group while interviewing and directing. “It was quite the adventure,” Sears said. While camping in the final three days, they weren’t able to offload footage, charge batteries or back up files.

Sears hopes the film will raise awareness about the Indigenous perspective of the dam removal. 

She removed her own voice to make space for the youth to narrate the film. “It was their story, so I wanted this to be fully theirs,” Sears said. “We should listen to the younger generation more and give them more opportunities to lead and guide.”

Sears also wanted to highlight Indigenous success. “Indigenous communities are reported on too heavily for traumas and past atrocities,” she said. “Indigenous success happens every day.”

Fall 2025 marked the one-year anniversary of dam removal and the first time in almost a century that the salmon of the Klamath returned to their natural run. The dam removal, which opened more than 400 miles of potential salmon habitat, contributed to 30% more salmon returning this year than last year, as previously reported by Ashland.news. 

“The dams only provided 10% of the energy grid,” Sears added, “meaning they didn’t even provide that much energy.”

300 miles in 30 days 

Ashland High School senior Wiki, along with the other youth kayakers, saw first-hand the “drastic” difference between an undammed and a dammed Klamath. She described paddling through the algae-filled waters for about 20 miles between the Link River and Keno dams. “It was horrible, terrible, gross and very smelly,” she said. 

The undammed river, however, was clear and odor-free, she continued. “It was just beautiful and glowing.” 

After portaging around the remaining dams, the kayakers paddled through four former dam sites — the draining of one of which uncovered the Kikacéki (or Ward’s) Canyon. “It was really fun to go through a canyon that didn’t have any life or water in it for over 100 years,” Wiki said. 

While others, including Wiki, took a different route, nerves set in for the three kayakers who were cleared to navigate the canyon’s class four and five rapids. Without any previous whitewater experience, Wiki prepared for two years and traveled with the group to Chile.

On their first day of whitewater, Wiki got pinned between two rocks, submerging her kayak and entire body underwater. 

“It was a scary, tense and emotional moment,” Wiki said. “Everyone froze for a minute.” This was the first dangerous incident that had happened with the group, she explained.

For Wiki, the physical toll didn’t stop after the 30-day expedition. In a phone interview with Ashland.news in January, she said her back still hurts.

“It was really hard,” Wiki said, mentioning they woke up around 6 a.m. to paddle up to 20 miles each day.  “It was pack up, paddle, unpack, giggle, go to sleep and then repeat.”

Reaching the ocean

Parents, relatives, friends and tribal members, most of whom hadn’t seen their loved one in 30 days, waited at the mouth of the river. They welcomed the kayakers with traditional songs, drums, prayers and chants, as previously reported by Ashland.news. Fog blurred the scene as the kayakers gradually emerged. 

“I remember getting closer and closer,” Wiki said. “I remember getting to the beach and then I, like, blacked out.” The group landed their kayaks on the sand and jumped out.

The next thing Wiki knew, she was on the beach running towards the ocean. “Nothing mattered,” she said. 

The minute all the teens got to the ocean, Wiki continued, it was screaming, cheering, jumping, laughing and crying. “We were just so proud of each other,” Wiki said. “It was really special.”

Nodding to the two dams still on the river, Wiki continued, “A really big work was done, but there’s still so much work to do.” 

At the same river mouth 50 years ago, Wiki said her great grandmother faced federal agents holding machine guns, threatening her for fishing. 

Wiki told Ashland.news a voice speaking at the end of the documentary was her mother speaking to her grandmother, saying: “We can cry grandma — crying is healing.”

Email Ashland.news reporter Sydney Seymour at sydneyseymourr@gmail.com.

Related stories: 

Ashland-based tribal attorney to discuss fighting for the Klamath River this Saturday (Jan. 6, 2026)

Mongolian scientists visit Klamath River to study world’s largest dam removal and salmon recovery (Oct. 24, 2025)

‘Understand history, create empathy’: OPB Native American boarding school documentary screening set for Klamath Falls this Friday (Oct. 20, 2025)

Feeling of pride, relief for Klamath River paddlers (July 16, 2025)

Kayakers finish 310-mile journey (July 16, 2025)

Indigenous youth call for worldwide dam removal with Klamath River Accord (July 15, 2025)

First Descent kayakers nearing Pacific Ocean (July 11, 2025)

‘First Descent’ underway: Kayakers following undammed river (June 13, 2025)

First Klamath River descent by tribal youth begins June 12 (June 5, 2025)

Dam removal a success on the Klamath — could Applegate do the same? (Feb. 19, 2025)