The Duwamish River Superfund site is an example of how the prioritization of economics in our political system forges a path for industrial development while leaving a trail of environmental and cultural degradation along the way. It is also an example of how working together as a collective community can help begin the healing process for the natural environment and for people. We met several groups of people who work hard to protect their community from environmental degradation and political marginalization. The people’s devotion and dedication to taking a stand was perhaps my favorite experience of the trip. During our visit to the Duwamish River and Southpark Seattle, Washington we met several people who have been impacted by the political and economic actions of the government and industries working around the Duwamish River. First, we were fortunate enough to visit the Longhouse of the Duwamish Tribe where they gather in community, share their history, their art, and they tell the story of their people. The people of this tribe relied heavily on the river before it became so polluted, and they’ve have been marginalized socially and politically for many generations. For example, they are not a federally recognized tribe, the treaties made with them were not upheld or respected, and their people were displaced from their lands by the British and US government in the late 1800’s during the pioneering times. So, building the longhouse is an empowering statement for the Duwamish – it says that they are the original people of Seattle, that they belong there, and that they are still there. The second group we met was the DRCC, Duwamish River Clean Up Coalition. The current Community Engagement and Outreach manager, Paulina Lopez, showed us around SouthPark. She explained some of the history of the city and the efforts they’ve made to improve the community by using unique community engagement tactics to get more input from the diverse community of Southpark. Their efforts were successful in getting input from community residents whose voices may have been lost due to a language barrier if it weren’t for DRCC. Their exhaustive efforts to connect with the community to gain their local knowledge via Lego activities, video interviews, written statements, etc. formed an important part of the fight to clean up the Duwamish River. Although the fight is still not over, they’ve had many successes and have made a huge impact. Both of these groups are helping us redefine what it means to have a good environment. While the government and industry often focuses more on money and maintaining their wealth while degrading the environment, local people talk about their family’s health, their history, belonging, and how important the health of the natural environment is to their past, present, and future. Although, the river is still seriously polluted, and they’ve had many setbacks and disagreements along the way, it’s been wonderful to see how many groups (EPA, City of Seattle, Southpark, DRCC, the Duwamish Tribe, and many more) have come together to work towards the common goal to hopefully help restore the Duwamish River one day and to work towards a more equitable process. Gloria
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AuthorsWe are Portland State students who care about the urban rivers of the Pacific Northwest. Archives
May 2018
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