JUUstice Washington

A Unitarian Universalist State Action Network

Fires Burn Over 80 Homes, 180,000 Acres on Colville Reservation

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OMAK & INCHELIUM — As of this print, the five fires that started during a wind event over the long Labor Day Weekend have destroyed over 80 homes and burned over 200,000 acres on the Colville Indian Reservation.

. . .

Each of the fires started on Sunday, Sept. 6, along with a number of other fires around the state.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee published a tweet noting on Sept. 7 “330,000 acres burned in WA. That’s more than 12 of the last 18 entire fire seasons. In a single day.”

“The devastation wrought here and elsewhere around the state by wildfire is unimaginable,” said Hilary Franz, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands, speaking alongside Cawston. “What I saw on the ground and in the eyes of residents and tribal leaders was both heartbreak at the devastation and resolve to rebuild and respond to the needs of their neighbors during this crisis.”

Read more here.

“The Condor and the Eagle” film screening and fundraiser for Tokitae Fund of Lummi Nation’s Lhaqtemish Foundation

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Join the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth, the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship and many other friends and allies as we come together virtually as people of faith and conscience to celebrate the Fall Equinox, watch this award-winning documentary, hear from the filmmakers & protagonists, and unite the faith community and allies in the movement for Indigenous rights and climate justice.
Even if you’ve already seen the film, join us again as we listen to the voices of Lummi Nation and Ponca Nations.
This day before the 50th Anniversary of Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut’s arrival at Miami Seaquarium.  Doug and Jewell James will speak to the heart in a significant way about bringing  Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut (Tokitae) home.  This is not just about returning a whale to the wild.  It’s about recognizing and honoring Lummi “Schlangen” (life ways).  It’s about Truth and Reconciliation.  It’s about restoring and protecting the Salish Sea and all the lives that depend on Her.
 
And then, it’s about our future on this planet.
September 22nd • 6:30 pm
“Four Indigenous leaders embark on an extraordinary trans-continental adventure from the Canadian Boreal forests to deep into the heart of the Amazonian jungle to unite the peoples of North and South America and deepen the meaning of “Climate Justice”. The Condor & The Eagle documentary offers a glimpse into a developing spiritual renaissance as the film four protagonists learn from each other’s long legacy of resistance to colonialism and its extractive economy.”

Let’s Talk About Fossil Fuel Expansion in Tacoma: 350 Tacoma and Plans for More Crude Oil Tanks

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Did you know that Targa Resources, a fossil fuel pipeline, fuel storage and transportation company, runs crude oil storage and terminaling facilities in Tacoma? Those are the huge tanks you can see along the Hylebos Waterway near the Port (2628 Marine View Drive). A few years ago, Targa (now under the name SeaPort Sound) expanded their rail capacity (oil trains) for “increased efficiency.” Now they have requested to increase their crude oil and other fossil fuel storage capacity.

Is there any doubt that means more fossil fuel industry in Tacoma? And more risk for all of us if something goes wrong. And more impacts to the environment and climate change.

Read more here.

LUMMI FISHERMEN RETURN TO ANCESTRAL FISHING GROUNDS

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Lummi tribal fishermen harvested salmon from Whatcom Creek in August, for the first time in at least 100 years.

The chinook salmon were released as juveniles in 2017 from the Bellingham Technical College’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Science program’s hatchery, which works in partnership with tribal and state fisheries managers. When the chinook returned as adults, they congregated below the waterfalls in the creek beside the hatchery.

Whatcom Creek travels from Lake Whatcom through the city of Bellingham to Bellingham Bay, where a pulp and paper mill operated on the waterfront from 1926 to 2007.

“When they decided we could catch these fish for ceremonial and subsistence, my name came up, and they asked if I’d go fishing,” said Lummi fisherman Troy Olsen. “I said I’d love to do that.”

Read more here.

A pipeline to nowhere? TC Energy’s bid to keep B.C. project alive frustrates residents in its path

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But despite the fact the LNG terminal has been nixed, TC Energy isn’t giving up on its plan to build the pipeline. No other LNG terminals have been publicly proposed for the Prince Rupert area, but the company appears to be holding out hope that someone pitches one —and gets it built.

. . .

“Continuing to force communities, First Nations and stakeholders to spend their time and energy responding to ill-advised project extensions like this one is an exercise in futility and a waste of taxpayer and investment dollars,” he wrote in a letter to TC Energy. “You guys are like zombies, you keep trying to rise from the dead.”

Read more here.