We began our journey at the Duwamish Longhouse, this area of waterfront was the site of long houses along the shoreline where the tribe used to fish. Now we look out at the cleanup efforts and industrial uses The Community Engagement and Outreach Manager for the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, Paulina Lopez gave us a tour of her community in Southpark. A skatepark was built in attempt to help the community but is now seldom used because the graffiti has made the concrete too slippery to skate on. Stepping out of the skate park a mural that says “home” in 5 different languages representing the major demographics that comprise the Southpark community.
"White settlers came to the Seattle area in 1851, establishing a townsite they first called New York, and then, adding a word from the Chinook jargon meaning "by-and-by," New York-Alki.” -Seattle Municipal Archives
Discovering Seattle's deep history of industry, economic and community development put into perspective the complex issues revolving around development in both long and short term thinking. This past weekend I could see clearly how the past is still very present in today's world. The Duwamish River was a great example of this continued impact, for example the profound injustices demonstrated by the commandeering of the Duwamish tribe's land, to the negative effect the Superfund site has had on the health and safety of South Park's citizens. Although people have tried to control, utilize or tame the waters of the Duwamish, the problems morphed into systemic problems that possibly stemmed from the rivers complex history. -Katie Brief History of Seattle. Retrieved from http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/seattle-facts/brief-history-of-seattle
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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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