Salish Sea Curriculum Repository

Items

• Trucking industry working to get around catastrophic B.C. highway closures

  Canadian Broadcasting Corporation news presents a story about the impacts of British Columbia, Canada highway closures due to flooding and landslides. Truckers work to reduce supply chain disruption.

• Cascadia Vision 2050 Report Argues Hub-Cities Can Solve Affordability and Sustainability Challenges

  The Urbanist presents a news article on proposals for high-speed transit between hub cities to improve housing affordability and reduce environmental concerns during continued development of the Cascadia mega-region, including Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver, British Columbia.

• Cascadia Needs New Zoning, Not New Cities

  The Urbanist presents an article that argues that the Canada Vision 2050 proposal to develop four hub cities from British Columbia to Oregon for development will not sufficiently support growth. The article offers other ways to promote sustainable development and growth.

• Direct Impacts of Northwest Refinery Pollution

  Sightline Institute presents an article on the negative impacts of Washington State oil refineries’ air and water pollution on human health and wildlife. The article discusses health risks, Clean Air Act violations, and impacts on communities like Anacortes, Ferndale, Tacoma and the Swinomish Tribe.

• Oil Refinery Profits, Taxes, and Spending: A Primer

  Sightline Institute presents an article on oil refinery profits and tax payments in Washington State. The article discusses the economic impacts and environmental costs of the industry.

• Oil Refinery Workforce 411

  Sightline Institute presents an article on oil refinery employment in Washington State, especially Whatcom and Skagit counties. It discusses pay, safety, and a history of striking to demand safer working conditions.

• Two Possible Futures for Northwest Oil Refining

  Sightline Institute presents an article on possible futures for oil refining in Washington State as climate change shifts energy demands away from oil.

• The History of Northwest Refineries

  Sightline Institute presents an article on how the history of oil refining in the Puget Sound is linked to colonialism. It discusses how refineries were built on Lummi, Swinomish, and Puyallup peoples’ land.

• What The Heck Is Afrofuturism?

  HuffPost article by Jamie Broadnax describes the Afrofuturism cultural movement and its differences from other science and speculative fiction. Broadnax refers to Afrofuturist media like the Black Panther comics and film and Octavia E. Butler’s novels.

• FNLC Supports Broughton Area LoU re. Fish Farms

  News release by Union of BC Indian Chiefs about First Nation Leadership Council (FNLC) comments on the Broughton Area Letter of Understanding (LoU), signed between the Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis, Namgis and Mamalilikulla First Nations and British Columbia. It discusses LoU’s role in reaching government-to-government agreement about the aquaculture industry in the area.

• Five salmon farms decommissioned (with more to come) as First Nations reach agreement with Cermaq Canada and Mowi Canada West over phase out plan

  SalmonBusiness article about the Indigenous Monitoring and Inspection Plan (IMIP) agreement, which establishes a formal process for First Nations oversight of fish farms operating in the Territories of the ‘Namgis, Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations. These sites are in Broughton Archipelago in British Columbia, Canada.

• Clam Digging through 3,500 Years of Indigenous History

  Hakai magazine presents an article on how radiocarbon dating research on Quadra Island has revealed that the Coast Salish clam garden technology is at least 3,500 years old. This discovery pushed back the known history of these structures by about 2,000 years.

• 'Significant day': Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Canada sign Burrard Inlet stewardship agreement

  A newspaper article documenting the signing of the Burrard Inlet stewardship agreement by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Canada in 2021. The agreement includes a $20 million investment to support environmental restoration, and allows the Tsleil-Waututh community to strengthen and maintain their connection to the water.

• Return the National Parks to the Tribes

  Article advocating for the return of national parks land to federally-recognized Tribes. It cites examples of violence and forced removal, and discusses the myth of “American wilderness” on land tended by Indigenous people. Author David Treuer (Ojibwe) explains how people and the environment would benefit.

• The Elwha’s Living Laboratory: Lessons From the World’s Largest Dam-removal Project

  This article explains how the removal of two dams from the Elwha River is an example of a successful restoration project. The dams devastated salmon populations and local communities, and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and conservation groups advocated for their removal. Since their removal in 2011 and 2014, the keystone species has been returning, and research shows improved biodiversity and environmental health.

• Eight Peninsula Tribes, Olympic National Park Sign Pact

  Eight Tribes and Olympic National Park signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2008 to improve open dialogue and collaboration on the Washington State peninsula, as documented in this article. The tribal governments and National Park Service had collaborated on projects before, but this agreement hopes to formalize and strengthen shared stewardship of the land and its resources.

• Howe Sound designated a UNESCO biosphere region

  Article celebrating the recognition of the Howe Sound area as Canada’s 19th biosphere by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, an effort that was five years in the making.

• Quinsam mine closing marks ‘end of an era’ for Vancouver Island coal

  Article about the significance of the last coal mine on Vancouver Island closing in 2016. The coal industry built Vancouver Island’s economy, but low commodity prices and larger shifts toward more eco-friendly energy sources have impacted the industry.

• What will happen when Mount Rainier erupts?

  Article featuring Carolyn Driedger, geologist at Cascades Volcano Observatory. Driedger discusses the hazards of Mt. Rainier, the safety measures the city of Orting has put into place, and the importance of pre-planning for the possibility of an eruption.

• Heat Wave Spread Fire That ‘Erased’ Canadian Town

  New York Times article exploring the heat wave in Lytton, British Columbia, 2021. Record-breaking temperatures of 121 degrees ignited a fire that destroyed 90 percent of the town.

• The Most Doomed City in Canada

  Article about how Victoria, B.C. is especially vulnerable to earthquake damage. The city is threatened by several types of earthquakes, and its historic buildings are unprepared for the projected destructive impact.

• The Really Big One

  Article about the major earthquake projected to occur on the Cascadia subduction zone and the unpreparedness of the region. Explains the region’s history of earthquakes, increased scientific understanding and seismological predictions, and the casualties, destruction, and economic collapse that may result. Highlights the danger of the discrepancy between scientific information and the region’s preparedness.

• How to Stay Safe When the Big One Comes

  Article about how individuals can prepare for the major earthquake projected to occur on the Cascadia subduction zone. Recommendations include bolting homes to foundations, creating earthquake kits, and making exit plans.