Native People

The strange link between looting Indian artifacts and methamphetamine users.

Government workers caught knapping

Posted Wed, Oct 8, 3 a.m.

Mossback attends archeology training and becomes steeped in historical context. He learns how to knap, tries his hand at raft-weaving, and finds out that "discovery" is not always a good thing. Part 2

(Historical) context is everything

Posted Tue, Oct 7, 3 a.m.

Making arrowheads, tossing spears, wandering old homesteads, and studying petroglyphs: All are part of a Washington state program designed to ensure that material progress doesn't completely obliterate the past. Part 1

Wanna rent a ranger station?

Posted Tue, Jun 3, 6 p.m.

America's national forests are in the middle of a "heritage" crisis as historic structures fall victim to budget cuts, vandalism, and neglect. Northwest forests are not immune, but citizens can help. How about vacationing in a fire lookout this summer?

Tongue ties: a language bridge across the Bering Strait

Posted Wed, Apr 30, 3 p.m.

By Michele Solis

A Western Washington University professor has compared native languages in North America to those in Asia and found ties that suggest they come from the same ancestors.

Go fish: The government's answer to depleted stocks

Posted Mon, Apr 14, 11 p.m.

By Daniel Jack Chasan

While officials are calling for a moratorium on commercial salmon fishing along much of the West Coast, they're opting for a different tactic in Puget Sound: continued fishing.

Tacoma: Dam if we do

Posted Tue, Apr 1, 5 a.m.

By Daniel Jack Chasan

Tacoma's Cushman dam reduced parts of the Skokomish to a trickle years ago, and the time to repair the damage — to salmon habitat and to the Skokomish people — is now.

2007 in review: The Seattle density debate

Posted Sat, Dec 29, 1 a.m.

Trying to find a saner, more just "ethic of place." Good luck with that, Seattle. Two important new books explain why.

The warpath not taken

Posted Mon, Oct 22, 5 a.m.

How would Pacific Northwest history have differed had we taken pioneer James Swan's advice about how to treat the native population?

Michael Medved sticks up for his column on slavery in America

Posted Fri, Oct 5, 5 a.m.

By David Neiwert

The Seattle-based national radio host has been the talk of the blogosphere this week. And he was flamed as the "Worst Person in the World" by MSNBC's Keith Olbermann for an article about America's culpability in the institution of slavery. He spoke with Crosscut's David Neiwert about why he believes he was right.

Putting on the Doggerel: All the news that's fin to print

Posted Thu, Sep 13, 1 p.m.

By Greg Palmer

What do Paul Allen, a gray whale, and the Washington State Ferries have in common? They all displace a lot of water. Or two of them are running out of gas, and one of them is all gas. You decide.

Nature and the great nearby

Posted Tue, Sep 4, 7 p.m.

An exhibition in Seattle features a 150-year scrapbook of images highlighting our relationship with nature, from dead eagles and illuminated orcas to sacred groves and horned loggers.

'Nature in the Balance': a gallery

Posted Tue, Sep 4, 6 p.m.

A baker's dozen of pictures from an exhibition highlighting the Northwest's relationship with nature.

Barn Again!

Posted Fri, Aug 31, 5 a.m.

Some of the most interesting and odd-ball historic preservation work is going on outside of Seattle in the land of vanishing farms, strip malls, and "Kung Pao weiner schnitzel."

Her feet complete a circle in time

Posted Fri, Aug 31, 5 a.m.

By Lorraine McConaghy

Last of four parts: On Day 5, the author, an historian, completes her circumnavigation of Lake Washington on foot, returning to Kirkland, which was a spectacular failure as a steel town but is a booming modern suburb. Her total distance: 67 miles. Duration: centuries.

Seattle's Clise family cashes in a big pile of blue chips

Posted Mon, Jun 25, midnight

The 12-acre Denny Triangle land sale opens up options for downtown development, but it also could be a chance to right some wrongs – if we play our Trump cards right.

A Washington tribe wins extended international whaling approval

Posted Wed, May 30, 8 p.m.

By Tony Hopfinger

The Makah, which last hunted and killed a whale in 1999, still need U.S. government permission and don't expect to go to sea again until 2009.

The twilight of Native Seattle

Posted Sat, May 5, midnight

By Coll Thrush

As the city was engineered into modern Seattle, Indian life was rudely pushed aside, as if the whites no longer noticed the people who had long lived here and helped create the new city. But Native Seattle did live on, in many ways hidden to white historians, just as it does today.

In Seattle, music of the Hawaiian Renaissance

Posted Mon, Apr 30, 8 a.m.

By Gordon Bowker

Led Ka'apana and Mike Kaawa, two legendary string virtuosos, tap the bottomless well of Hawaiian music at the Triple Door.

Other media

The calmness of Obama: Is it the Hawaii thing? Some think his zen state is an aspect of the Aloha spirit, "a peaceful state of mind and a friendly attitude of acceptance of a variety of ideas and cultures."

NEW YORK TIMES

The Snoqualmie Tribe rolls the dice for a huge new Eastside casino A fascinating bit of reportage affords an unusual inside glimpse into how tribal gaming combines capitalism, high risk, and native traditions.

SEATTLE TIMES

Why isn't McCain visiting Indian country? Al Franken, the Minnesota Senate candidate, for example, visited three tribes over the weekend. McCain is an advocate for the Native Americans.

NEW WEST

Just what was the Gregoire deal on tribal casinos? Her decision, widely approved at the time, has become the main line of attack by the Dino Rossi campaign. Here's a good backgrounder.

SEATTLE TIMES

Another eviction notice for 'Nickelsville': They thought that was Indian land at Discovery Park The rogue homeless encampment of 75 people, which was ordered to leave city and state land in South Seattle, moved to a field near Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in the Magnolia neighborhood. They now have until Sunday to get out. Camping isn't allowed in city parks. The land is leased to tribes but belongs to the city.

SEATTLE TIMES

Blog posts

Is Northwest nature worship neurological?

Posted Thu, Nov 20, 6:30 a.m. 2008

Our religious impulses toward the wilderness could be boosted by the way our brains work.

Saving old Oregon

Posted Wed, Oct 15, 6 a.m. 2008

Restoring ancient habitat in the Willamette Valley.

Sausage Links, money for nothing edition

Posted Fri, Aug 8, 12:15 p.m. 2008

by Clark Fredricksen

Was the latest Elway poll a little off? Released Monday, Aug. 4, the poll showed Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire leading Republican challenger Dino Rossi by a whopping 16 points. Today, Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Joel Connelly says Elway "may be wrong." Meanwhile, both candidates are still sparring over Gregoire's recent accusations of racism in a Republican attack ad. Rossi, however, has responded by saying: How could the ads be racist? I'm part Native American myself. ...

Sausage Links, top-two headache edition

Posted Tue, Jul 8, 2:23 p.m. 2008

by Clark Fredricksen

David Postman had a busy morning. First, The Seattle Times chief political writer reported the proper way to describe the ~~death with dignity~~ "assisted suicide" initiative. Then he dropped a political firebomb, reporting the state's political parties haven't yet given up trying to ax the "top-two" primary, with both Republicans and Democrats claiming the entire '08 election won't count. I thought that headache was over. Turns out it's just getting started. ...

Polimedia (late) lunch links, 'Belch if you love democracy' edition

Posted Tue, Jun 17, 3:15 p.m. 2008

by Clark Fredricksen

The Right blogosphere is all over the GOP's call to investigate Gov. Christine Gregoire's gambling compact with a Washington state native tribe, here and here – while Eric Earling at Sound Politics also makes an interesting observation about The Seattle Times' MORE

Gregoire's gambling compact should shock us all

Posted Fri, Jun 13, 8:46 a.m. 2008

by Ted Van Dyk

Since my return to Seattle more than seven years ago, I have noted many changes in the state and local political cultures. The most disappointing has been the degree to which supposedly "liberal" governors, legislators, mayors and others accept as business-as-usual policies and practices which are shockingly self-interested and against the interests of a majority of their constituents.

Seattle's Hollywood 'Head Hunter'

Posted Wed, May 28, 1:20 p.m. 2008

For Northwest history geeks, the most anticipated film event of the season is a rare chance to see a rare film, the just-restored 1914 silent, In the Land of the Head Hunters by Seattle's photographic master Edward S. Curtis. Known most for his monumental work photographing North American Indians, Curtis is mainly remembered and widely collected as a still photographer. Yet he also worked in film (including a stint for Cecil B. DeMille) during cinema's infancy. The "shadowcatcher" caught moving pictures, and his feature will be on screen again in June.

The Northwest's real fairy tales

Posted Thu, May 8, 11:08 p.m. 2008

When it comes to Northwest legends, we usually think big: There's Bigfoot, D.B. Cooper's Big Heist, Paul Bunyan and his Big Blue Ox — even the Big White Worm of the Palouse. This tradition goes back. When Jonathan Swift documented Gulliver's travels in the early 1700s, he placed the land of the giants, Brobdingnag, in the Pacific Northwest — somewhere between what we know today as British Columbia and Alaska. But we have our mini-myths, as well. Yes, Northwest giants are fun to think about (remember Olaf?), but take a minute to think about our munchkins.

How the West was nuked

Posted Fri, May 2, 3:56 p.m. 2008

One of the best trends in historic commemoration is a greater willingness to honestly embrace history some would like to forget. In the bill containing Washington's new Wild Sky Wilderness that just passed Congress, there is funding for a National Park Service memorial on Bainbridge Island commemorating the shameful internment of Japanese civilians during World War II. The internment proposal was pushed hard by Rep. Jay Inslee and Sen. Maria Cantwell. Coming to terms with our nuclear past is another problematic area, but one that is also getting a more attention in the West.

Look out! The Olympic mascot's got a gun!

Posted Thu, Nov 29, 5:31 a.m. 2007