Best Map of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California in the world
I'm daydreamimg of Cascadia this week as a place to practice stewardship values toward this beautiful world we share with amazing people, plants and animals.
I'll write more about it later, but for now share the highlights:
Cascadia is a bioregion that encompasses the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada, and is defined by the watersheds of the Columbia, Fraser, and Snake Rivers. It stretches from southern Alaska to Cape Mendocino, and as far east as the Yellowstone Caldera.
Cascadia is distinct from the surrounding regions in many ways, including:
Geography: Cascadia has unique topography, geology, and flora and fauna.
Culture: Cascadia has ecologically adaptive cultures.
Economy: Cascadia is economically distinct from the surrounding regions.
Environment: Cascadia is environmentally distinct from the surrounding regions.
Cascadia is also geologically hazardous, as it's located on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which stretches from northern California to Vancouver Island. This area is subject to large earthquakes and tsunamis, and is home to an active chain of volcanoes.
The term "bioregion" refers to a specific place with a unique pattern of natural characteristics, such as climate, seasons, landforms, watersheds, soils, and native plants and animals. Some bioregionalists believe that political boundaries should match ecological and cultural boundaries. I'd be one of them in so far as here in Seattle we ought to see water as sacred, and the water that flows from the Cedar River watershed our home waters that give us life.
A few of my favorite peeps in Cascadia:
Sightline Institute's Alan Durning ordered our map and helped design it with John whose last name escapes me right now.
Cascadia is rooted for me in a dreamy utopian book titled Ecotopia
Tribes are rooted in Cascadia long before the invasion by Americans and extermination of indigenous tribes.
The Hoh River was a central feature of the Hoh tribe's territory and life. The Hoh used the river for transportation, fishing, hunting, trapping, and foraging. The Hoh also used the river for salmon nurseries, and the riverbanks were home to freshwater fish. The Hoh built permanent settlements along the riverbanks, and the river watershed was also home to their ancestors' burial sites, family campgrounds, and summer villages.
Here are some other tribes in the Puget Sound region:
Snoqualmie Indian Tribe: Located in the Snoqualmie Valley, this tribe has about 650 members.
Duwamish
Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians: This tribe is descended from the Stoluck-wa-mish River Tribe and is committed to preserving their culture and lands.
Suquamish Tribe: Located on the Port Madison Indian Reservation in North Kitsap County.
Tulalip Tribes: Located on the Tulalip Reservation near Everett, this tribe has a population of over 4,800 members.
Squaxin Island Tribe: A tribe in the Puget Sound region.
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community: A tribe in the Puget Sound region.
Upper Skagit Tribe: A tribe in the Puget Sound region.
Shift:
What is your dream for a stewardship society? By stewardship I mean what Peter Block wrote about in his book by the same title, choosing service over self interest.
What unfolds from a greener more just world view of stewardship is seeing that the Earth is alive, and we are in a river of relationships every day until we fall like leaves from the tree and return home. So in our watershed, we notice and name our plant and animal cousins as being here with us, and no longer in the illusion we are separate from others.
Einstein helped me understand the shift I feel is unfolding now:
Millions of people around the world are perceiving the world this way. There are several wonderful writers whose books have been thought provoking and life affirming.
Here are a few:
The Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard
Braiding Sweetgrass and Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer
This webpage has a pretty well rounded collection of 100 books that will help us change our collective minds toward stewardship and greater care of each other and Mother Ocean and Father Sky.
A surprising favorite of mine is The Entangled Life by Canadian Merlin Sheldrake on the fungus among us.
Sheldrake gives a talk here that is fun to hear
Comments