Buck Jones, a member of the Cayuse Tribe, one of the three tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is making waves in the world of fisheries with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC). With a history spanning 19 years, Jones, CRITFC’s Salmon Marketing Specialist, has been at the forefront of ensuring the sustainability and prosperity of Tribal commercial fishers and fishing communities.

Maine’s 17,000 who observe the dietary practices in the Quran primarily rely on imported halal-certified beef, lamb, and goat meat because the closest USDA-certified slaughter and processing facility is four states away.

Katheryn Piper and her husband, Hussam AlRawi, want to change that. In 2017, they organized Five Pillars Butchery LLC and converted their barn in Unity, ME to produce halal proteins for direct local consumption under Maine certification.