An essay by historian Coll Thrush outlining the lifeways, oral traditions, culture, and history of the Lushootseed-speaking peoples of Puget Sound from pre-contact times into the 21st century.
Students use this resource to identify geographic features including hydrological features. During their visit to the site, students are encouraged to critically engage with the information shared on a Google map.
Students use this resource to identify on whose traditional territories their chose site is located, which then guides their research about cultural significance of the site.
A webpage by the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian intended as an educator resource for teaching about Indigenous peoples. It has an overview of the terminology that has been used to describe Indigenous peoples and explains why using accurate terms is important.
A keystone in an arch's crown secures the other stones in place. Keystone species play the same role in many ecological communities by maintaining the structure and integrity of the community.
A PBS Nature episode investigating the decline of Pacific salmon in the Columbia River basin and the controversial role of hatcheries and laboratories in conservation. It examines how certain human interventions, such as artificial breeding, may be detrimental to their survival as a species.
Selected images from digital collections including works by early photographers of the region, plans by a prominent shipbuilder, curated topical exhibits, and images of key ethnographic, historic, and art objects.
A public research collection featuring over 200,000 historical photographs documenting the people, places, and industries of Whatcom County and the broader Pacific Northwest.
An article advocating for integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into ecosystem science and management. It emphasizes the value of TEK in enhancing ecological understanding, informing impact assessments, and supporting co-management strategies.
A website created by a number of state, federal, tribal, academic, and private agencies that explains different measures of ecosystem health in Puget Sound. The website features an interactive diagram which can be clicked on to learn about each vital sign.
A biography of Billy Frank Jr. (Nisqually) by Trova Heffernan which chronicles Billy Frank Jr.’s life and role in the fight for treaty rights in the 1960s and 1970s, eventually resulting in the Boldt decision.
A 2021 article arguing that land education in early childhood education disrupts settler colonial narratives by centering Indigenous knowledge and environmental relationships. The authors argue that this approach supports critical reflection of education and supports decolonizing education.
A volume of essays with contributions from a number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars and leading voices in ethnoecology, Indigenous law, and philosophy. It includes perspectives on reconciliation, environmental sustainability, and pathways toward ethnoecological restoration.
A website by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community that describes a number of Indigenous Health Indicators, such as community connection, traditional education, cultural use, and more.
A guidebook by Royal Roads University and University of Victoria supporting the Indigenization of post-secondary education, particularly in British Columbia. It emphasizes the importance of decolonization, reconciliation, and cultural safety in creating equitable learning environments.
A 2019 study co-authored by Gitga’at First Nation and University of Victoria researchers that developed a social-ecological monitoring program rooted in Indigenous knowledge. It is intended to serve as a model for integrating Indigenous knowledge into ecological monitoring efforts.
An article about a comprehensive study (the First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study or FNFNES) by the Assembly of First Nations, University of Ottawa, and Université de Montréal on levels of food insecurity in First Nations communities. The research explains how environmental degradation diminishes access to traditional foods, which impacts the health of First Nations individuals, and how there is an urgent need for policy to address these issues.
A practical guide for non-Indigenous people aiming to decolonize higher education, written in collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. It emphasizes the importance of emotional resilience, self-reflection, accountability, and a long-term commitment to decolonization work.
Hear the story of the Japanese American incarceration experience from those who lived it, and find thousands of historic photographs, documents, newspapers, letters and other primary source materials from immigration to the WWII incarceration and its aftermath.
Connects everyone to the dynamic history, cultures, and art of Asian Pacific Americans through vivid storytelling and inspiring experiences to advance racial and social equity.
Includes photographs, maps, newspapers, posters, reports and other media from the University of Washington Libraries (including Special Collections), University of Washington Faculty and Departments, and organizations that have participated in partner projects with the UW Libraries.
Alaska to Northern California, and from the Pacific to the Rocky Mountains, with a particular focus on northwest Washington, the Olympic Peninsula, British Columbia, and Alaska
Report from marine scientist Kathryn Sobocinski, Western Washington University, and the Salish Sea Institute. It compiles information on the Salish Sea estuarine ecosystem including climate change, urbanization and human impacts, opportunities for better understanding, and a call to action on the future of the Salish Sea.
An interactive map by the Burke Museum of Coast Salish languages in the Salish Sea region. It features several pieces of art made by Coast Salish artists which can be clicked on to learn more. It also labels modern-day tribal communities and cities.
How do we connect stories of people to place? The objective of this three-part project is to make the connection between the forced removal of Bellingham’s Punjabi community in 1907 to the history of Bellingham’s contested waterfront.
An academic article by Brian Tucker and Reuben Rose-Redwood analyzing the naming of the Salish Sea and its implications for Indigenous recognition and state authority. It explores how toponymy can both acknowledge Indigenous histories and perpetuate colonial power structures.
