Indigenous Affairs Native nations lead salmon restoration efforts in Columbia Basin The number of returning adult salmon and steelhead has doubled since the 1990s, but is still only halfway to the NWPCC’s goal of 5 million. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore + ICT / February 10, 2025
Indigenous Affairs Cowlitz Tribe youth help lead this year’s First Salmon Ceremony “It’s what we do to thank the salmon for what they give,” said Lydia Hodges, 15, part of the new generation carrying on the sacred ritual. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore + ICT / June 24, 2024
Indigenous Affairs Yakama Nation’s new public safety campus gives justice room to grow The tribal court system, which had occupied a cluster of trailers since the ’50s, plans to add services like a mental health or a veterans court. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore News and ICT / January 9, 2024
Equity Snoqualmie Tribe starts land protection sales tax at Salish Lodge The 2% tax will preserve ancestral sites such as Snoqualmie Falls, and could be a model for other Indigenous nations. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Underscore/ICT / July 17, 2023
News The Washington mental health lifeline made for and by Native people The Native and Strong Lifeline provides connection and culturally specific care to callers in crisis. by Nika Bartoo-Smith Indian Country Today and Underscore News / June 19, 2023
News This tiny Eastern WA town could become a bitcoin mining hub California investors hope to strike it rich by building a huge crypto operation in the remote town of Usk. But the community isn't so sure. by Zachariah Bryan InvestigateWest / November 17, 2022
Politics Signature checking is WA's safeguard against election fraud Over the years, officials have identified just a handful of ballots that might have been fraudulently cast — out of several million votes tallied across the state. by Zachariah Bryan InvestigateWest / November 8, 2022
News WA battery maker faces accusations of providing U.S. tech to China Mukilteo-based UniEnergy absorbed millions of taxpayer dollars. Hazardous waste, geopolitical chaos and corporate implosion ensued. by Zachariah Bryan InvestigateWest / September 26, 2022
Equity Under Trump's EPA, pesticide workers pin hopes on state Farm worker advocates say they welcome efforts to strengthen state pesticide regulations, but they aren't optimistic in Trump's EPA. by Martha Baskin / February 12, 2018
Environment It won't be easy to save the marbled murrelet A marbled murrelet chick by Martha Baskin / March 6, 2017