According to an article written by Paul Gottlieb in July of 2010, research has come out about the grey whales which were the focus of the Makah Whaling in the late 1990s. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has performed research which has suggested that the whales surrounding the Strait of Juan de Fuca may have a seperate genetic idenity than the other grey whales in the Pacific Ocean, meaning that the whales near the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Washington penninsula may be placed on an endangered species. This genetic discovery may place restrictions on the whaling of the Makahs.
While it is important that the 200 or so individuals of the different genetic variety are preserved to prevent extinction of a unique species, the right to whale should not be taken away from the Makah peoples. Restrictions should be made and perhaps specifications about which whales can be killed. Although the Makah's have killed few whales since the renewing of the whaling practice, the peoples should have the right to do so if they feel the need to.
-Brittany Vigoreaux
Source: http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9660&Itemid=118
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Homelessness in Seattle
Every day, walking from my dorm to my boyfriend's apartment I see homeless people. Sometimes they ask for money. Sometimes they have signs. Sometimes they are together along with their dogs and possessions. They are all ages and body types. Why is homelessness so prevalent and what is being done about it? All the articles I have read emphasize that homelessness does not only happen to the uneducated, lazy or drug addicts. Often homeless people (in fact 90% of women and children who are homeless according to the Daily of the UW) are the victims of abuse. They could also be just out of jail or foster care. King County has created a Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. This plan builds and buys housing units and funds homelessness relief programs. One program works with landlords and homeless people to establish and help fund housing agreements. Others encourage job training and education. According to the plan's website it has been effective. Homelessness rates have steadily fallen, making Seattle one of the only cities in the country where this is true. This plan is encouraging and apparently effective. One issue it does not address though is youth homelessness. According to an article in the Daily, though overall homelessnsess rates are falling, the number of youths on the streets is growing. In the U District this is certainly the case. Any evening one walks down the ave homeless young people are abundant. It is unsurprising that they would choose to live in an area with a large number of students, where people are used to kids hanging around. Essentially, everything comes back to education. If the state had better programs for funding post high school education for those who cannot afford it, there would be fewer homeless youths. Unless they are assisted by the state it will be exceedingly difficult for them to obtain an education and move off the street. The Ten Year Plan needs to adress these issues and help young people into schools.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
New high school course?
The previously posted article (Native education) also got me thinking about the curriculum that is currently taught in Washington public schools—and public schools across the nation for that matter. I mean, Washington isn’t Arizona…at least we have yet to ban cultural studies in our schools. Yet, we do seem to be severely lacking in this department. I still remember in elementary school learning about how great Columbus was when he “discovered” America, and how vast and empty the land was, not yet touched by man. By the time I took American history in high school, this changed a little, but honestly not as much as it should have. But there is just so much to learn about the way Native Americans worked with the land before (and after) the Europeans arrived, how can we even dream of fitting it all into one high school course?
I think it would be awesome if high schools in Washington created a class that incorporated Native American history with hands-on projects designed around living sustainably based on Indigenous customs. I’m picturing a lot of the information relating to material from ANTH 210, but then there would also be this real life part of the class, where students could get out of the classroom and learn gardening, agriculture, cooking, and just general living in a way that is friendlier to the environment as well as cheaper, and more enjoyable. Students could learn what real wild rice tastes like, and how buying chicken and beef from local farms reduces environmental impacts while supporting the community. This is not an unrealistic class to offer at a high school—it would take work, and funding, but I think that a great deal of local groups would ultimately support it. Plus, this would give Native American youth the opportunity to really feel comfortable in school, as they learn sustainable customs that may have actually been passed down from some of their ancestors.
-Rachel Wolk
How far have public schools really come?
I found this great article from the Seattle PI about Native American dropout rates in Washington State:
The article highlights a young woman who dropped out of her Seattle high school when personal and family issues prevented her from have the time to complete her school work. Apparently, this student is among many Native Americans in the Seattle area who struggle with finishing high school and going on to college. According to the article, 11.5% of Native American students dropped out of high school in the 2007-2008 school year, which is higher than the dropout rates of any other minority group. Why do young people from First Nations have such a difficult time making it through school?
The answer, as the article reveals, stems back quite a few decades, when white settlers forced Native American children to attend English, Catholic schools. They had no say in the curriculum or even the language in which their lessons were taught. This led to feelings of oppression and inferiority, feelings which are still prevalent today in many young Native Americans’ lives. Although modern Washington public schools are far from what they were in the 19th century, some issues still remain. The article brought up the point that teachers continue to be predominately white…and thinking back on my elementary and high school years, I never had or even knew of a teacher who was part of an Indigenous group. Honestly, I rarely saw teachers who were of any minority group at all. Thinking about this makes me realize that although I did work hard in school to get good grades and make it to college, I was also very privileged in that I had a consistent feeling of comfort and security in school. Native American students are missing this key ingredient to their success, and therefore they must work extra hard to make it as far as I have made it. I really hope that in the near future, an increasing number of Native American students will make it to college and become teachers themselves, so that they can make students of every heritage feel comfortable, and at the same time raise awareness of the culture and struggle of the First Nations of Washington.
-Rachel Wolk
The Importance of Local Wetlands
Every year thousands of acres of wetlands are being bulldozed in order to make way for housing developments, outlet malls and roads. In my home town of Poulsbo, Washington a ten acre wetland was paved over to make way for a highway and shopping complex. All kinds of animals were displaced and forced to live in nearby ditches or dirty retention ponds. It is still common to see birds of every variety hanging around the parking lot of Albertsons trying to find proper mating grounds. There is no safe haven for ducklings to be raised anymore and they are forced to waddle across the highway in order to find a decent food supply. In 1989 Governor Booth Gardner announced that half of the states wetlands were gone, and for every acre of wetlands that is paved over another acre of wetlands will be recreated in a different location. He vowed that the number of wetlands would actually instead of continue to rapidly decrease. After 21 years it is obvious that his promises have proved to be false, more and more wetlands are being filled with cement and most attempts to recreate wetlands are most often a complete failure, or nonexistent. I for one did not see a single replacement wetland being attempted in my hometown, but did witness the destruction of several more to make room for Wall-mart, home depot and Pet-co. Ugly retention ponds have been placed around town and it disturbs me to think that this is an acceptable replacement for miles of habitat to millions of animals such as the majestic blue heron, sandhill crane and great egret.
Most people don’t understand the profound importance that wetlands have on our planet. The vegetation of wetlands helps anchor soils in place which prevents soil erosion which is desperately needed in a continually developing economy. Coastline erosion is a serious threat to areas which think retention ponds are an acceptable replacement for naturally occurring wetlands. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), coastlines are being eroded at a rate of up to 4 feet per year. For every foot that is lost people try to replace lost security with retention walls or other substitutions. But there is no permanent solution because wetlands not only keep our soil from eroding from underneath of our feet, they also protect ocean waters by filtering toxins before they reach open water. They do this by slowing water flow from the land to the sea. When water flow is decreased, suspended particles containing toxins will drop down into the sediment layer. This action removes them from the ecosystem where they will remain inert unless the sediment layer is disturbed. Needless to say wetlands cannot be replicated and cannot be replaced. There have been many failed attempts and ecologists, and hopefully politicians will be forced to see the conclusion that it simply cannot be done and the destruction of wetlands has to be stopped.
-KK
Works Cited:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/hyml/localnews/2004407515_growth_wetlands15m1.html
http://www.suite101.com/content/environmental-and-economic-importance-of-coastal-wetlands-a255984
Elwha River Dam Removal cont.
Preparations for a Dam-less Summer
Since the Elwha Dams will both be removed by May 2010, this upcoming summer will be the first dam-less summer the Elwha River has seen in almost a century. Now that the dams will be removed, fish will have the ability to swim upriver and spawn again in their natural habitat. In preparation for the return of the habitat back to the fish, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is expanding their fisheries operations by expanding and refurbishing their existing fish hatchery.
“The new space will allow us to expand our hatchery operations, even more so when the dams come down,” said Larry Ward, the tribe’s hatchery manager. “More fish will have better access to the river valley as well.”
The tribe preemptively created a steelhead brood stalk program so that the steelhead would not be wiped out during the deconstruction of the dams. The Elwha River steelhead population is part of the Puget Sound steelhead population listed as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act.
“We’ve found that wild steelhead tend to immigrate to the ocean as 2-year-olds, so we’ll try to rear them to that age before we release them,” said Larry Ward, a fisheries biologist and hatchery manager for the tribe. “We’ve been successful at raising the 2005 stock to spawning maturity, so things are going well so far.”
The current Elwha River only allows salmon to travel up the first five miles of river, but with the dams removed the salmon will not be limited to inadequate hatching habitats. The current fish hatchery supports chum and Coho salmon, but after the expansion it will also support pink salmon. By creating and expanding this hatchery, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is helping the local and world-wide salmon run. While salmon are an important part of their life and culture, this is not entirely a selfish act. They are directly helping all salmon fishermen economically as well as benefiting their own economic, traditional, cultural, and spiritual relations to the salmon. Furthermore, they are indirectly profiting the entire ecosystem in which the salmon are contributing to, which is a large ecosystem as they travel across oceans and travel many miles up river systems. For example, the river above where the salmon travel lacks its normal abundance of mussels, which is due to the lack of salmon. Mussel larvae feed off the gills of salmon for the first few weeks of development before they drop off and continue their development on the streambed. Scientists hope that once the river is populated with salmon once more, the mussel population will return as well.
The hatchery will be completed in the spring of 2010; a few months before the last dam is deconstructed. This preemptive approach is very significant. This shows how much the removal of the dams is affecting their livelihood. As of November 2010 the hatchery is 65% complete and is on time to be completed by next spring.
WORKS CITED:
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. "Hatchery Groundbreaking at Lower Elwha Klallam"
http://nwifc.org/2010/02/hatchery-groundbreaking-at-lower-elwha-klallam/
Seattle Times: "Elwha Steelhead Broodstock Program Successful"
http://nwifc.org/2009/07/seattle-times-elwha-steelhead-broodstock-program-successful/
WORKS CITED:
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. "Hatchery Groundbreaking at Lower Elwha Klallam"
http://nwifc.org/2010/02/hatchery-groundbreaking-at-lower-elwha-klallam/
Seattle Times: "Elwha Steelhead Broodstock Program Successful"
http://nwifc.org/2009/07/seattle-times-elwha-steelhead-broodstock-program-successful/
-SH
Monday, December 6, 2010
Duwamish continued: Apologizing for Centuries of Mistreatment
To follow up on my previous post, here is a pretty recent article (May 2010) about an apology made by Washington Representative Jim McDermott and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback:
McDermott and Brownback apologized to the First Nations of the U.S. for “ill-conceived policies and the breaking of covenants” and for “many instances of violence, maltreatment and neglect”. Apparently, McDermott used this apology to also point out that the federal government has continuously failed to address the issue of recognizing the Duwamish as an official tribe. He also explained how the Duwamish are not the only indigenous group to be neglected by United States policymakers, even after making treaties with the government decades ago.
This article raises a couple of interesting questions. First of all, considering the lack of interest the government seems to have in working towards recognizing and reconciling with American First People, why even make the apology? As far as McDermott and Brownback are concerned, this is a small step toward affirmative action for Native Americans, and a large step for these political leaders in regards to increasing their constituency to include indigenous groups. There does not seem to be any real movement toward aiding these under-recognized people. In my opinion, this apology means nothing unless McDermott truly continues to push legislation to recognize the Duwamish and other deserving groups. He explains that he “authored legislation to fix this shameful problem”, but this clearly has not yet made a difference for the Duwamish.
The other issue this article raises is, how far exactly should the government go to fix past issues? Aside from current problems like that of recognizing the Duwamish, there have been countless injustices on Native Americans that the federal government is responsible for, many of which are irreversible. For such issues, is a simple apology all that First People can hope for? The government has spent a great deal of time and money creating policies for African Americans in order to boost their social and economic well-being through jobs, secondary education, and other programs; yet, similar programs for indigenous Americans are almost non-existent in comparison. I think it is the responsibility of the federal government to ensure that these people who have been so mistreated in the past are given every opportunity to become the proud, successful First Nations that they once were. An official apology is one step, but these apologies need to include a step by step process through which Native Americans will be reconciled.
-Rachel Wolk
-Rachel Wolk
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Saving the Spotted Owl
The majestic spotted owl had been the focus of heated debate between loggers and environmentalists ever since the fate of this small bird, barely 8 ounces, has come into question. The ancient forest of the Pacific Northwest has always been home to the spotted owl but over the last 150 years, as a result of heavy logging, these ancient forests have decreased drastically. Society has deemed this incredibly diverse and beautiful landscape as economic property, worthless unless it is generating revenue for the owners. For generations loggers and mill workers have relied on the seemingly endless bounty of trees that encompasses the Pacific Northwest to support their families. As this sacred, ancient forest meets the angry bits of steel the population of spotted owls is in terrible danger of losing their stable ecosystem which they rely on for shelter and food. Spotted owls cannot survive in young forests, and loggers need old growth forest trees because the quality of wood is better, and their machines were made to process thick trees. Both the owl and the logging industry need the precious trees of old growth forests. But whose need is greater?
The Northern Spotted Owl was listed federally as a threatened species in 1990 because suitable habitat was declining throughout its range and there was evidence of declining populations. Saving the spotted owl will save an entire ecosystem on which plants, other animals, and humans depend. "The spotted owl is almost certainly just the tip of the iceberg," says the Forest Service's Jerry Franklin quoted from “Who gives a Hoot” in Time magazine. "There are probably dozens of other species just as threatened as the owl." The spotted owl is considered an indicator species -- a gauge of the health of the ecosystem that provides its habitat. It has been estimated that within 30 years the last of the ancient forests outside of protected areas will fall. It has taken centuries for old growth forest trees to grow which cannot ever be replaced in our lifetime. Many mills may be forced to close eventually unless they adapt their machinery to work with second growth trees. "We've been running an ecological deficit, and the bill has come in," says Jerry Franklin, a research scientist with the Forest Service. "There's going to be pain for owls, for people and for trees." The owl dispute has not caused the problem but forced people to realize the inevitable crisis facing the Pacific Northwest.
Works Cited
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v4n1/
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,970447,00.html#ixzz17BXphFwv
http://communty.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archine/?date=20000806&slug=4035697
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Duwamish: Recognition of a People
The Duwamish Tribe (as they refer to themselves on their website: www.duwamishtribe.org) were among the first people to inhabit the Pacific Northwest. Their leader in the 19th century was in fact the namesake for the very city in which the University of Washington is located. Chief Seattle (also known as Chief Sealth) greeted the first white settlers in 1851 and helped them survive in this region by providing guidance and technology such as canoes. The Duwamish are at least partially to thank for the unique and productive city of Seattle that their land has become; yet the Federal government is ignoring this First Nation, and fails to recognize them as a tribe.
In 2001, the Duwamish gained federal recognition as a tribe for only a second. As soon as President George W. Bush took office, their recognition was retracted. The reasoning the government uses is that the Duwamish do not have a continuous history, a “fact” which is easily undermined. The Bush Administration even went so far as to declare them “extinct”. These First People have place-based knowledge that extends through a number of significant eras in Washington’s history. They have passed down information from generation to generation which even covers the most recent Ice Age, and the accuracy of this information has been validated by radiocarbon-dating of ancient artifacts discovered in the area. The Duwamish have great pride in their heritage. Their website proclaims, “We have never left our homeland”. They have centuries of knowledge regarding all of the animals, plants, landscapes, and waterways of this region.
In the summer of 2009, Duwamish leaders again attempted to gain federal recognition as they instigated a bill titled “Duwamish Tribal Recognition Act”. This bill continues to be ignored by Congress, and the Duwamish have yet to gain the recognition they have always deserved. If they were to be recognized as a tribe, the Duwamish would receive funding that could go towards housing, tribal government, education, health care, and cultural programs. They would also gain fishing rights and would be authorized to open a casino, which would bring in further money. Without this funding, the Duwamish are struggling to remain an independent and prominent culture. They do have a number of projects underway currently, however. One of their most recent accomplishments is the opening of the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, the first longhouse built in Seattle since they were burned down to build the city. Overlooking the Duwamish River, this traditional longhouse serves as a symbol of the rich culture and history of this First Nation. The next step is for the federal government to finally recognize these people as the true founders of Seattle, a community that lived in, learned from, and maintained the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
-Rachel Wolk
Sources:
Monday, November 29, 2010
Elwha River Dam Removal
Last Dam Summer
As an environmentally forward state, Washington practices many progressive techniques to help renew aspects of the environment that has been harmed by the imposed infrastructure of the industrial era. Many years ago the Elwha River was dammed in two places (1913 and 1927 respectively) in the Olympic National Forest in order to create more hydroelectric power. The dams are detrimental to the ecosystem and to the people who inhabit the area around the Elwha River. Since the dams were built, salmon have not been able to swim past the dams to spawn in their natural habitat on the Elwha River. Salmon was prized above all other fish because it was the economic, cultural, and spiritual heart of the Elwha River to the Native Americans. The Native American tribes who have fished the salmon on this river for many centuries have lost the economic, spiritual, ritual and nutritional benefits that the river used to provide them. Also, when the dams were built, some tribal land was flooded and lost its value as well. In my opinion, the Elwha River ecosystem was the biggest loser in this specific battle between nature and humanity. Of the Elwha River ecosystem, the salmon were the most noted species to be harmed because they were missed most by humanity. Furthermore, the Native Americans were the most noted peoples to be harmed because they were heavily reliant on the benefits of the salmon. Nevertheless, there were many more harmful aspects of the dams that people are not aware of because we have not studied them or they are unquantifiable under human standards. For example, many ecosystem functions that enable life (including human life) are harmed when an environment is changed so drastically.
The government has recently decided to remove the dams. While Native Americans support the removal, they have not been directly included in the process of dam removal. Nevertheless, they are inherently included in the end product due to the bolt decision, which states that the Indian Tribes are entitled to half of all fish. Even though the Native Americans have a very strong connection to the river, the government is removing the dams for other reasons, such as economic, mitigation, licensing and environmental protection reasons. The dams are being removed because the power could be bought for less money elsewhere, the dams need new licensing, new regulations require fish passage, and mitigation would be costly. This will be the largest dam removal in the world. The National Park Service is funding the removal of the dams, replacing the salmon in the river, and protecting drinking water, which will directly benefit the Native Americans who are dependent on the river system as a fishery and a clean water source. Native Americans will be able to fish the salmon once more for the first time in a hundred years. Furthermore, The National Park Service is not funding education, research or monitoring in relation to the project, which inhibits humanity’s ability to learn from the project and statistically see how the ecosystem changes with respect to the dams’ removal. This is a very unique opportunity to for humanity to learn how the natural environment changes with respect to anthropologic changes.
 |
| This picture illustrates the amount of sediment that has accumulated above one of the dams on the Elwha River. |
While there are many ways in which this project is beneficial, there are also many ways in which this project can go awry. Many feet of sediment have accumulated around the dams some of which will be removed, but the remaining sediment has unclear consequences. Scientists do not know what species are in the seed bank in the sediment and which species will grow in the sediment. It is also unknown whether that land will be relinquished to the native peoples and if it will even be considered usable. There are so many questions that will be answered through this project, but since there is no funding for research most people will not be able to learn from it. While humanity continues to face the environmental destruction of the past and present, it is interesting to watch how it is dealt with and how humanity interacts with the environment. The removal of the Elwha dams is an example of humanity trying to recreate an ecosystem that was harmed by humanity, but the way in which they do it does not reflect the importance of native peoples nor the opportunity to learn from such an extravagant project. Instead humanity is motivated by economic and political ideals in order to patch one damaged piece of the ecosystem with no regard to the interconnectivity between this damaged piece and other ones that have occurred or wSHill occur in the future.
Sources:
- Dr. Jerry Freilich, Olympic National Park Research Coordinator
SH
Monday, November 15, 2010
Kitsap County Water
While browsing local newspapers looking for environmental news and updates, I stumbled upon an article addressing the idea of reusing water or "Thinking of Water in a New Way" (Dunagan, Christopher, Kitsap Sun, 11/13/10). The article discusses the idea of managing water in a "more natural way", rather than using the water in one's house, sending it through a series of pipes and discharging "1.5 billion gallons per year" of sewage in the Puget Sound. The upcoming technology will make it possible for one to recycle the water as it goes from the sink and toilet to what is described as a water treatment unit placed next to the septic tank. The water will then be fit to use for watering lawns and even reusing in the household.
This plan will allow for each household to conserve the amount of water sent to the Puget Sound, thus improving the quality of the water in the sound over time, if other counties are able to follow down this path. Not only would this plan help reduce the amount of pollution released into the environment, it would also lower costs of sewage for many households since the monthly price would be based on individual usage, not the usage of the community sewage pipes. Although the initial cost of installing these tanks/units in each household would be high at first, it is predicted in the article that over 20 years around $300 million will be saved, since the expensive sewer upgrades will no longer be necessary. This article was refreshing as it gave a positive outlook to the future of conserving environmental resources and protecting the environment from pollutants. While this switch from sewage lines to water treatment units may take a few years due to technological and financial set backs, it's a great idea that would be easy for the homeowner to utilize.
-BV
This plan will allow for each household to conserve the amount of water sent to the Puget Sound, thus improving the quality of the water in the sound over time, if other counties are able to follow down this path. Not only would this plan help reduce the amount of pollution released into the environment, it would also lower costs of sewage for many households since the monthly price would be based on individual usage, not the usage of the community sewage pipes. Although the initial cost of installing these tanks/units in each household would be high at first, it is predicted in the article that over 20 years around $300 million will be saved, since the expensive sewer upgrades will no longer be necessary. This article was refreshing as it gave a positive outlook to the future of conserving environmental resources and protecting the environment from pollutants. While this switch from sewage lines to water treatment units may take a few years due to technological and financial set backs, it's a great idea that would be easy for the homeowner to utilize.
-BV
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Makah Whaling
I remember just turning 9 years old when I heard the news about the struggle of the Makah whalers attempting to re initiate their 2,000 year old whaling tradition. At the time, I did not understand the controversy of animal rights activists protesting the event or why the whalers wanted to kill an innocent animal. This is my attempt to delve deeper into the spiritual and environmental issue that occurred in 1999.
My grandmother on my mother's side grew up on the Makah reservation on the north westernmost point of Washington state called Neah Bay and is 50% Makah and 50% Tulalip. My only connection with this portion of my heritage has been the annual trip to Neah Bay to participate in Makah Days, an August celebration featuring the gathering of native groups, smoked salmon and canoe races. I have never felt a particularly strong connection to the Makah tribe, mostly because I was raised in the Seattle area my whole life. However, when given the opportunity to explore local environmental issues, I was struck with the idea to investigate the Makah whaling controversy and how it relates to what we are learning in Environmental Anthropology.
Over 150 years ago, the Treaty of Neah Bay was signed with the US and the Makah peoples that stated that while land was being taken away from the natives, the right to whale legally was still intact. This right to whale was not exercised by the native peoples of Neah Bay for nearly 70 years until the late 1960s when artifacts from the ancient mud buried village of Ozette were excavated, artifacts including equipment that was used for whaling. This discovery sparked an interest in whaling in the Makah natives. It wasn't until 1999, however, that the first successful whaling mission took place. Tribal members who were to participate in the event trained for months in order to be a part of this historical event. During the whaling process, animal rights activists protested the Makah's traditional practice, claiming that the traditional killing of the whale was inhumane and that while the Makah are only permitted to kill 5 whales every year under the treaty, the fear that this Makah whaling would be "used as a wedge to break international protections against whaling" existed among protesters (Walker, "The Makah Whale Hunt: Politics Meets Tradition"). I remember driving up to Neah Bay soon after the whale was killed in May of 1999, passing by crowds of people standing on the sides of the winding roads, attempting to make it known that what the Makah peoples had done was wrong.
Legally, the Makah peoples had every right to kill the grey whale that was killed in 1999. The Makah peoples share a whaling quota with the Chukotka, a tribe found in Russia, so the amount of whales killing was within a manageable rate so as to not create extinction of a species. However, protestors still believed that the ethical circumstances of this situation were more important than the traditional and spiritual values the Makah held with this whaling process. According to the Makah webpage, whaling is a deeply spiritual process that is the focus of many of the creative forms of expression in the Makah culture. To have that denied, or rather protested, by groups of people fighting for the life of one creature seems to be a destruction of cultural diversity. While many protestors argue that since the whaling tradition was dormant for 70 years so it therefore must not be critical to the native peoples of Neah Bay, whaling is what the Makah peoples claim to be known for and is something my ancestors specialized in. Ethnocide is the destruction of one group’s culture or identity. While the Makah peoples successfully practiced their whaling process, the attempt to stop the killing of the whale (often physical attempts of motor boats of protestors trying to interfere with the canoe of whalers) is an attempt at ethnocide.
While I would hardly say I have a spiritual background connected to my Makah ancestors, traveling to the Neah Bay High School gymnasium to partake in the gathering of native communities from across the US and Canada to enjoy the refreshing of a cultural practice and traditionally prepared whale meat and blubber was a cultural experience that I will always appreciate.
Sources: http://www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/what_are_the_issues/whaling/makah_the_tribe_who_would_be_whalers/the_makah_whale_hunt_politics_meets_tradition.html
http://www.makah.com/ozette.html
http://www.makah.com/whalingrecent.html
-Brittany Vigoreaux
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Shooting of John T. Williams: The Man and a Variety of Opinions
Who was John T. Williams? Each article in the Seattle Times paints a different picture of the First Nations woodcarver. The people who knew him have used adjectives like kind, talented and bubbly when describing how he was harmless and unlikely to threaten Officer Birk. On the other hand social workers at the Chief Seattle Club and the DESC have described Williams as “volatile” when drunk though they too find it unlikely that he was a threat. Each article cited Williams’ history of petty crimes and misdemeanors though until October 15th no full profile of his history was published. This article tells of his seizures, alcoholism, hospital stay, detox center stints, car crashes, abusive childhood and numerous encounters with law enforcement all over the northwest. These included indecent exposure charges, disorderly conduct, trespasses, public drunkenness, and multiple assault charges. Lately “police were being called repeatedly to take him away from Dick's Drive-In on Capitol Hill, where he was wandering around with no pants, smeared with his own filth.” The article by Lynda V. Mapes extended beyond Williams and claimed how his life is not uncommon in downtown Seattle
Unfortunately, Williams is not alone in having a difficult time lately. The Seattle Police Department has been subject to much criticism over the last year. Previously this year a Latino man was kicked repeatedly by an officer while using offensive and racially charged language. Later in the year the department came under fire again for a struggle between two jaywalkers and a police man. The women were African American and were physically resisting the officer. The conflict escalated until the officer punched one woman in the face. Both incidents were caught on videotape. The week of the Williams shooting 6 other people were either killed or wounded in conflicts with the police. Most seem justified and some do not. Regardless, the amount of violence with police lately has resulted in a greater emphasis on de-escalation training for police officers. The death of six police officers last year has been cited as one reason for the increased tension and violence in law enforcement officers this year.
Public opinions on whether the shooting was justified and what should be done in the aftermath are extremely varied. Williams’ older brother Rick has voiced his anger towards the public and other native people. Following the protest at city hall he asked where was the help for his brother and family while John was alive. Rick and his sons are also woodcarvers to support themselves. They live currently in a motel. He has also reported police harassment following the incident. He claims to be watched by a number of officers while carving and selling his work. Several witnesses support this claim. One native blogger expressed the idea that the streets are not safe for natives, claiming “no peace in the streets with police in the streets!”
Non native people have also an extraordinary range of opinions. Many of the letters to the editor of the Seattle Time express a loss of faith in the SPD. They cite the jaywalking and kicking incidents along with the death of Williams to call for a serious increase in diversity training for SPD officers. One insightful article calls for an overhaul of the system for selling alcohol. He believes that a card should be issued which would be required to be shown when buying alcohol. This card he proposes be revoked following DUI or public drunkenness charges. Other letters ask how Williams “fell through the cracks” and how his life was allowed to spiral so far out of control.
A third debate was present in the letters published in the times. Some claimed that even if Officer Birk was threatened that he had other options such as calling for backup, disarming Williams or shooting to wound. Invariably these letters were followed by ones written by law enforcement related people who talk of the dangers of hesitating or shooting to wound. One editorial discussed the officers training. One shoot or don’t shoot simulator used had officers on average shooting an unarmed person 38% of the time. This percentage all comes back to the training the officer was put through. In addition, the patrol areas are often split by seniority with the youngest officers getting the busiest or most dangerous areas. Officer Birk had been with the SPD for only two years and was patrolling one of the busiest areas when Williams was shot.
As a member of a law enforcement family I am quite torn by this incident. I believe that Officer Birk did shoot unjustifiably and that Williams was not a threat to him. This being said, the pressure on law enforcement officers is enormous. In many ways once Birk perceived Williams as a threat he had no option but to shoot. Though an oversight by SPD he was not equipped with a tazer. Law enforcement officers are trained to not shoot to wound and for very good reasons. With the adrenaline and tension present during a conflict it is difficult at best to hit a target. Officers must also be aware of the possibility of their target being on drugs of a sort which would make a wound unnoticeable and would not stop a determined attacker. A skilled knife wielder is dangerous in a range of over twenty feet and can kill in seconds. The officer has to make a split second decision and knows all the risks to himself and the people around him and therefore must, if he/she shoots, shoot to kill. I believe John Williams was not a threat to Officer Birk and that the shooting was unjustified, but I understand why it happened. Add to this already tense situation the fact that six officers were killed last year in the line of duty. The law enforcement community is extremely tight knit and it is no wonder SPD officers are tenser this year. The SPD has handled this situation extremely well in my opinion. It is conducting an open investigation which is being overseen by another organization. It has taken steps to modify the training of its officers and interact with the community more. They must investigate Rick Williams’ claims of harassment in a similar manner. The SPD must implement its new policies and work better with minority communities. Their officers need more training in de-escalation, diversity and community interactions. I believe a serious change for the city is in the works and must include added support for people like John T Williams who have run out of options and need the publics help to turn their lives around. Homelessness and poverty is no small problem but to solve it the state will have to stabilize its budget. Washington State Seattle
EC
Sources
The Seattle
email on police harassment of Rick Williams – DP
discussions with CC
The Shooting of John T. Williams: The Incident and Investigation
On August 30th 2010 a 50 year old man named John Williams was shot and killed by Seattle Police Department officer, 27 year old Ian Birk. Williams was a member of the Ditidaht First Nation and was generally without a permanent residence, an alcoholic and supported himself by making traditional woodcarvings. The shooting took place at the corner of Boren Avenue and Howell Street . The officer saw Williams cross the street with a knife in his hand and a piece of wood. The knife was a three inch carving knife which is within the legal limit in the city of Seattle
Over 40 local news, opinion, editorial and letters to the editor relating to the Williams shooting have been published in the Seattle Seattle Downtown Emergency Services Center
Following the initial report the officials and the public have had a large number of questions for the police department. These include: Why was the officer not armed with a tazer? Why did the officer not call for backup instead of firing? Why did Birk not use his patrol car for cover? In response to the first question police chief John Diaz says that fewer officers are equipped with tazers because they require extra training and he has “seen inappropriate use” of them as well. The second two questions were largely in the hands of the officer himself though they do call into question what he should have done and what his training recommended.
Originally the police department reported Williams as having acted threateningly towards Officer Birk though later that statement was withdrawn. From the beginning Police Chief Diaz has claimed the investigation will be completely “transparent” and they will do everything possible to get to the bottom of the issue. The police immediately made statements deciding to review their officer training and use of force curriculum in light of the incident. About one week after the death of Williams police officials including the police chief and interim deputy chief attended a meeting with local native leaders. They discussed the community concerns and the actions to be taken. Interim Deputy Chief Nick Metz expressed his regret that the police had not had much of a relationship with the Native American community before the shooting. The police have decided to put a new emphasis on community relationships by making nine police captains and one of two deputy chiefs focus on the issue. In addition, 300 more officers will be equipped with tazers and 40 will have small video cameras on their uniforms. The chief said that the police had been caught in “response mode” with officers being deployed in their cars in response to an incident. Instead he will increase the number of bike and foot patrol officers in order to have them present and interacting with people when an incident occurs. From the beginning the public and officials have called for an outside agency to review the investigation in order to ensure it is unbiased. This agency will be the Seattle US Attorney’s Office. About two and a half weeks after the shooting protesters marched on city hall, peacefully singing songs and carrying cedar branches. There they were met by the mayor of whom they demanded a tribal liaison office at city hall. The mayor, Mike McGinn, said a “historic injustice” had been made and that they will be “held accountable” for their actions. Early in October the Firearms Review Board, a four person police official’s board which investigates every time an officer’s gun is fired, ruled that the shooting was unjustified. This is the first time in almost forty years that the FRB has ruled a shooting unjustified and has been called a step in the right direction by many. It remains to be seen what conclusion the police investigation will come to and whether the US Attorney’s office will rule the investigation unbiased.
See part two for source list
EC
Monday, October 25, 2010
Welcome
Welcome to "Local Environmental Issues in Washington". We are Environmental Anthropology students at the University of Washington, and we hope to use our knowledge of human-environment interactions to illuminate current environmental issues in our state. We plan to focus on the Puget Sound and peninsula area since this area is rich in cultural history and current environmental issues. More specifically, we will focus on Native Americans and the manner in which their rights are tread upon by the state and federal government. We hope to share articles concerning this topic, critical analysis of the issues, and sometimes lay out potential solutions that would benefit both the Indigenous groups and the state as a whole. Most importantly, we hope to demonstrate the importance of treating the First Nations in Washington with respect, as they hold ancient and valuable knowledge of the land and its processes that could lead to a more sustainable state, and in turn a more sustainable world.
-Rachel, Brittany, Erin, Karissa and Sienna
-Rachel, Brittany, Erin, Karissa and Sienna
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