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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW More lightning, high winds possible ... Scientist: We need to learn to live with wildfires ... Weather or Not: June in Redding — er, I mean Ashland ... More lightning, high winds possible ... Scientist: We need to learn to live with wildfires ... Weather or Not: June in Redding — er, I mean Ashland ... COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR Environmental and social activist leaves powerful legacy Comment By Annette McGee Rasch DailyTidings.com By Annette McGee Rasch Posted Feb. 11, 2015 at 7:06 PM Updated Feb 11, 2015 at 7:07 PM By Annette McGee Rasch Posted Feb. 11, 2015 at 7:06 PM Updated Feb 11, 2015 at 7:07 PM » RELATED CONTENT • On landmarks, personal and geologic • Unitarian Universalists welcome the Rev. Nan White • In memory of Tom Quinnin, a staple of the Ashland musical community... • Noted Ashland conservationist dies at 70 » Social News Well-known environmental and social justice activist Barry Snitkin died on Feb. 5 after the sudden onset of an aggressive form of colon cancer.  Choosing to pay tribute while Snitkin could experience the appreciation of his accomplishments, more than 500 people recently attended the opening of the 13th annual Siskiyou FilmFest in Grants Pass — an event Snitkin pioneered in 2002 to sharpen focus on the ecological wonders of the Klamath-Siskiyou region.  "It's rare in our society to celebrate someone while they're still alive. It's special and I don't think it is done enough," said Joseph Vaile, executive director at Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center. Jeff Golden, producer and host of Southern Oregon Public Television's "Immense Possibilities," said Snitkin was a model that environmental activists should study if they want to be effective.  "Barry was clear and firm and relentless in protecting the valley he loved, and at the same time, projected solid and kind respect for the people whose activities he opposed," Golden said. "He was a steady warrior for what he believed in, with no need to shame or demean anyone else. I’ll sure miss him."  Snitkin, a longtime Illinois Valley resident, touched many lives. He volunteered with the Social Justice Alliance, Rural Organizing Project, Democratic Party and the Progressive Coalition. He also worked to help keep community libraries open and served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations.  Also a tireless advocate for people of color, the LGBT community and the poor, friend and colleague Dave Toler said, "If injustice raised its head, Barry was there."  "Barry had a real knack for bringing people together to make a difference and have fun in the process," said Ashland resident Julie Norman. "The Siskiyou Field Institute and Siskiyou FilmFest are two highly successful projects he co-founded."  Takelma elder Agnes Baker Pilgrim credits Snitkin, and his wife, Meadow Martell, for helping bring her ancestors' centuries-old Salmon Ceremony back into existence in 1994.  In keeping with Native American tradition, the annual ceremony, held on the banks of the Rogue River, honors and shows gratitude for its life-force; and in recent years, has been attended by thousands, which helped generate momentum for the removal of dams from the river, according to Baker Pilgrim.  "Barry made his mark on all of us as well as the environment, and I never heard him say a bad thing about anyone. He engaged with the world so honorably and gently," she said.  Many say that Snitkin, 66, possessed a kind of "social genius."  "Barry was that rare person who made everyone he knew feel they were a very special friend," said friend Annette Williams. "But I'm willing to bet that he did love each of us, uniquely, for who we were — and that's a rare gift of true attention that not many people grant others."  For 20 years, Snitkin put his social skills to work at the Takilma-based Siskiyou Regional Education Project.  "When almost every last roadless area in the Siskiyou forests was scheduled for timber sales and clearcutting, the only thing standing in the way was several small groups of activists," said former SREP Executive Director Kelpie Wilson. "I don't know how he did it, but whenever we needed people to turn out for a public hearing or rally, Barry delivered."  "Barry taught us what it looks like when our communities take part in protecting our natural world," Vaile said. "He knew that without real people appreciating the value of a healthy planet to their everyday lives, we will never save what matters — and he knew how to engage lots of people."  As often as he could, Snitkin indulged his passion for running southern Oregon's rivers in his inflatable Sotar kayak.  "Barry was the best kind of paddling buddy," said musician Alice DiMicele. "His smile was infectious, his positivity always calming. My heart is both heavy with this loss and buoyed by how gracefully Barry lived out his last days. My thoughts are with his children, partner, and family."  "Barry was a consummate kayaker, skillful and wise. He boated the way he lived his life. Fearless, yet nonchalant," said another longtime river buddy, Shannon Rose. "He always went straight into the big holes and aimed right for the tallest waves, no skirting the edges for Barry." During Snitkin's transition, several friends quoted another wilderness and river enthusiast, the late author Ed Abbey, who wrote: "Night and day the river flows. If time is the mind of space, the River is the soul of the desert. Brave boatmen come, they go, they die; the voyage flows on forever. We are all canyoneers. We are all passengers on this little mossy ship, this delicate dory sailing around the sun that humans call the earth. Joy, shipmates, joy." Annette McGee Rasch is a freelance writer living in Cave Junction. By Annette McGee Rasch DailyTidings.com By Annette McGee Rasch Posted Feb. 11, 2015 at 7:06 PM Updated Feb 11, 2015 at 7:07 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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