A five-year battle over a bag of clams shows how a reliance on century-old treaties can lead authorities to treat members of some tribes differently than others.
Coastal gardens once saw harvests that rivaled today's commercial fisheries without exploiting the land. Some Native communities are now reviving the tradition.
Both candidates for mayor now say they oppose a proposed coal-shipping port at Cherry Point, but the real action may be in the Whatcom County executive contest.