Salish Sea Curriculum Repository

Items

• Physical Geography Reference Map for the Salish Sea Bioregion

  

• 2023 Salish Sea Institute Newsletter

  

• We Have Stories: Five generations of Indigenous women in water

  This paper traces the changing relationship between family, water, and fish through the lives of five generations of Indigenous women.
  

• Water We Call Home online exhibition

  Re-presencing Indigenous women’s connections to fish, water, and family around the Salish Sea
  

• Knowing, Connecting, and Protecting the Salish Sea

  Science director for SeaDoc Society, a marine conservation program, presents at the Western Washington University College of the Environment (previously Huxley) Speaker Series. Gaydos talks about impacts of human-caused changes on Salish Sea species and the importance of public awareness and education about the Salish Sea to address issues.
  

• Chief Bill James & Troy Olsen - Salish Sea Speaker Series

  Chief Tsi'li'xw (Bill James) and Su'hun'up Hussmeen (Troy Olsen) of the Lummi nation present at the Northwest Indian College Salish Sea Speaker Series. They tell stories about the importance of the art of weaving with cedar and wool in the Coast Salish tradition and how the art is impacted by changing Salish Sea conditions.
  

• This Living Salish Sea

  Documentary on Salish Sea underwater biodiversity and the resistance of diverse communities and First Nations to the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline, who call attention to fossil fuel industrial development projects affecting local ecology, the worsening climate crisis, and the lives of future generations.
  

• We Are Puget Sound: Discovering and Recovering the Salish Sea

  Town Hall Seattle and publisher Braided River present a panel discussion about the multimedia book and campaign We Are Puget Sound: Discovering and Recovering the Salish Sea. Hear from contributors from the Squamish Tribe, Washington Environmental Council People for Puget Sound, Orca Recovery Task Force, and more.
  

• Vancouver Smart City: Parks in 25 Years?

  Engineer Melina Scholefield and ecologist Steven Apfelbaum discuss what the ecology and nature of Vancouver B.C. parks and recreation spaces looks like now and what it might look like in the future.
  

• The Highest Tide

  Young adult novel follows a teenage boy from a fictional bay in western Washington state near Olympia who is passionate about the Puget Sound and becomes a local celebrity when he discovers a giant squid on the shore.

• Introducing Salish Sea Wild

  The SeaDoc Society Science Director Joe Gaydos presents a trailer for Salish Sea Wild, a documentary series on the places, people, and marine wildlife of the Salish Sea. Episodes feature scientists and their work with Salish Sea wildlife.
  

• Indigenous Knowledge in a Changing Climate

  Nancy Turner, an ethnobotanist and professor, presents at the Western Washington University College of the Environment (previously Huxley) Speaker Series. She talks about environmental change, incorporating Indigenous Environmental Knowledge systems into decision-making, and biocultural diversity.
  

• Ocean Acidification in the Salish Sea

  Terrie Klinger, a professor and co-director of the Washington Ocean Acidification Center, presents at the Western Washington University College of the Environment (previously Huxley) Speaker Series. She talks about causes of ocean acidification, impact on marine and coastal communities, and recent science and policy actions.
  

• A Conversation with Seattle Times Environmental Journalist, Lynda Mapes

  ​​Lynda Mapes talks about how she got to where she is and orca (killer) whales in the Salish Sea during her talk at the Western Washington University College of the Environment (previously Huxley) Speaker Series.
  

• Coast Salish Food Sovereignty

  Valerie Segrest (Muckleshoot), a native nutrition educator and coordinator of Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project, presents about Coast Salish traditional food, food systems, and movements towards food sovereignty for cultures and health across Indian Country at the Western Washington University College of the Environment (previously Huxley) Speaker Series.
  

• Five Generations - Salish Sea Speaker Series

  Lummi Elder and Fisherman Tim Ballew Sr. presents at the Northwest Indian College Salish Sea Speaker Series. He speaks about the meaning of being on the water and the experience of change across generations in connection with the water.
  

• 'No One Asked for an Ethnography.' Reflections on Community-based Anthropology in Coast Salish Country

  Anthropology journal article about community-based work for Edmonds Community College students’ place-based learning, Coast Salish partners’ and native students’ requests for involvement and “passing the mic,” and the role and uses of ethnography for tribal and non-tribal governments.

• Why Developing Indigenous-Specific Health Indicators Matters - Salish Sea Speaker Series

  Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Tribal Historical Preservation Officer Larry Campbell (Swinomish) and Environmental Community Health Analyst Jamie Donatuto present at the Northwest Indian College Salish Sea Speaker Series. They talk about why Indigenous-specific health indicators, respected stewardship, community connections, and diet matter.
  

• Shape Our Water Community Vision

  Booklet on the community involvement shaping the 50-year plan for Seattle’s water resilience called Shape Our Water. In collaboration with Seattle Public Utilities, it provides goals for creating a water-resilient and equitable future in Seattle with infrastructure that supports community needs and addresses underlying issues.

• ‎Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Not “a Nation of Immigrants"

  Episode from the podcast Book Club with Jeffery Sachs features a conversation with author Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. They discuss myths, settler colonialism, white supremacy, and the history of erasure and exclusion in the United States.

• Waterfront as Contested Space

  Reimagining the history of Bellingham Bay and North Puget Sound and how it is taught, presented by Anna Booker, WCC history instructor, and the "Bellingham Working Waterfront Project" and David Jepsen, co-author of Contested Boundaries: A New Pacific Northwest History.
  

• WCHS: Situating Ourselves in the Salish Sea with Anna Booker

  Whatcom County Historical Society and Whatcom Museum host a presentation on the results from projects about experiential learning and storytelling for critical thinking. Booker discusses the Salish Sea Virtual Lab that supports experiential learning.
  

• Episode 29: Part 3: The Sea Around Us

  Western Washington University television show episode follows Bert Webber, who led the naming of the Salish Sea composed of the Puget Sound, Strait of Georgia, and Strait of Juan de Fuca. Webber explains that the name provides a greater understanding of the ecological and cultural roots of the region.
  

• Coal in the Puget Sound Region

  Essay detailing the history of how railroad expansion and Washington coal mines for fuel and export shaped the economy and society of the Puget Sound. The essay also contains historical photographs from coal mines.

• The Bellingham Bay & British Colombia Railroad Company

  Article from The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin on railroad history in Bellingham Bay and British Columbia from 1852 to 1951. The article also contains relevant maps, photographs, and data.

• Mountain Goat - Powerpoint Lecture

  Marco Hatch (Samish) lectures about the mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), which is native to the Salish Sea. He discusses characteristics, distribution, removal from Olympic National Park, and the role of wool for Coast Salish peoples.
  

• Nettle - Powerpoint Lecture

  Marco Hatch (Samish) lectures about stinging nettle (Urtica diotca). He discusses nettle distribution, characteristics, and harvesting for nutritional and medicinal use.
  

• Pacific Silverweed - Powerpoint Lecture

  Marco Hatch (Samish) lectures about Pacific Silverweed (Argentina egedii). He discusses plant distribution, characteristics, consumption, nutrients, and relation to food-related Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
  

• Kelp - Powerpoint Lecture

  Marine ecologist Marco Hatch (Samish) lectures about kelp forests in the Salish Sea. He focuses on the characteristics, life stages, role, distribution, and restoration of two species: bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) and giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera).
  

• Rootgardens

  Clip about the archaeology of root gardens composed of Pacific Silverweed and Springbank Clover, which serve as traditional food sources for Indigenous peoples in the Salish Sea.

• Maiden of Deception Pass | Guardian of Her Samish People

  Longhouse Media presents a documentary about the Samish Legend of Ko-kwal-alwoot, who risked her life to save the Samish people from starvation. The film explains the story, its pole carving on Rosario Beach in Deception Pass State Park, and the importance of the history to the Samish people.
  

• What is the Salish Sea

  Marco Hatch (Samish) provides a brief overview of the Salish Sea for the Western Washington University course SALI 201: Introduction to the Salish Sea. He introduces the map, terminology, borders, treaties and rights, and tribal territories.
  

• Clams - Powerpoint Lecture

  Marine ecologist Marco Hatch (Samish) lectures about shellfish and soft substrate intertidal zones. He discusses and compares the characteristics of the Varnish Clam, Olympia Oyster, Pacific Oyster, Manila Littleneck Clam, Native Littleneck Clam, Cockle Clam, Butter Clam, Horse Clam, and Geoduck.
  

• Shore Friendly Living - Coastal Beaches and Bluffs

  Video by Northwest Straits Foundation and The Shore Friendly program shows how the geology and physical processes that form Puget Sound beaches impact those who live on them.
  

• Sea Level Rise in the South Salish Sea

  ArcGIS StoryMap by Squaxin Island Tribe of sea level rise in the South Salish Sea.

• Restoring a River of Life

  ArcGIS StoryMap by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about the Middle Fork Nooksack River Diversion Dam near Deming, Washington, a source of drinking water for the City of Bellingham. It discusses public and private partnerships for dam removal that would benefit wildlife (like salmon, steelhead, and bull trout migration) and people.

• Marine and Nearshore Restoration Projects - Playing An Essential Role In Conserving The Salish Sea

  ArcGIS StoryMap by Northwest Straits Foundation about the projects Derelict Gear Removal (like crab pots, fishing nets, and shoreline armor) and Shore Friendly (and the Landowner Outreach Program), which restore beach and marine habitat.

• Quadra Island: 13,000 Years of Coastal Living

  Documentary by Hakai Institute follows a team of archaeologists who are looking for evidence of humans in the Discovery Islands off Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The film focuses on understanding environmental change and adaptation after the ice age.
  

• Not For Any Price

  Documentary about how the Lummi Nation led the opposition to a proposal for a coal terminal at Cherry Point near Bellingham, Washington. Cherry Point is an ancestral village site and integral to fishing treaty rights for the Lummi Nation.
  

• Researching and Restoring Nearshore Habitat in the Strait of Georgia

  ArcGIS StoryMap by the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project shows the research of factors impacting the survival of juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Salish Sea for better recovery and management. It discusses the importance of eelgrass meadows and bull kelp habitat, the impact of climate change, and restoration efforts.

• Northwest Photograph Collection

  Seattle Public Library presents a collection of historic photographs of Washington State locations like the Olympic Peninsula, Mount Rainier, Deception Pass, Bellingham, Tacoma and Eastern Washington.

• City of Bellingham Public Works: Waste Treatment Plant

  City of Bellingham presents a video covering the steps of cleaning wastewater at the Post Point Resource Recovery Plant starting from when it leaves a house to when it reaches Bellingham Bay.
  

• Otter’s Journey through Indigenous Language and Law

  Book by Lindsay Keegitah Burrows (Anishinaabe) uses storytelling of a journey through Anishinaabe, Inuit, Maori, Coast Salish, and Abenaki territories to explore Indigenous language and law revitalization.

• The Birch Bay Water & Sewer District Through the Years: Water Unites Us

  ArcGIS map series of the history, timeline, and future of the Birch Bay, Washington water and sewer district.

• Kwakwaka'wakw "Clam Gardens": Motive and Agency in Traditional Northwest Coast Mariculture

  Human ecology journal article explores clam garden management techniques as a form of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Based on accounts from Kwakwaka'wakw Clan Chief Kwaxistalla Adam Dick, trained in these techniques by elders, the article discusses activities, motivations, and outcomes of clam gardens.

• Tulalip, From My Heart: An Autobiographical Account of a Reservation Community

  Autobiographical account of Harriette Shelton Dover’s (Snohomish) life in the Tulalip Reservation Community and her stories of the hardships of resettlement and traumatic experiences in an Indian boarding school. Dover describes her tribe’s strong community and connection to land.

• Fishing down the coast: Historical expansion and collapse of oyster fisheries along continental margins

  Environmental science journal article evaluates the patterns of exploitation of oysters and oyster reef degradation due to destructive fishing practices. The article focuses on estuaries in western North America (Ostreola conchaphila), eastern North America (Crassostrea virginica), and eastern Australia (Saccostrea glomerata).

• The Living

  Historical fiction novel set in late 19th century Bellingham Bay, Washington follows three men navigating pioneer life among European settlers and a group of Lummi natives.

• Top 10 Principles for Designing Healthy Coastal Ecosystems Like the Salish Sea

  Like other coastal zones around the world, the inland sea ecosystem of Washington (USA) and British Columbia (Canada), an area known as the Salish Sea, is changing under pressure from a growing human population, conversion of native forest and shoreline habitat to urban development, toxic contamination of sediments and species, and overharvest of resources. While billions of dollars have been spent trying to restore other coastal ecosystems around the world, there still is no successful model for restoring estuarine or marine ecosystems like the Salish Sea. Despite the lack of a guiding model, major ecological principles do exist that should be applied as people work to design the Salish Sea and other large marine ecosystems for the future. We suggest that the following 10 ecological principles serve as a foundation for educating the public and for designing a healthy Salish Sea and other coastal ecosystems for future generations.
  

• Border Songs

  Fiction novel follows Brandon Vanderkool, who works as a Border Patrol agent on the border between Washington State and British Columbia.