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
Environment WA dairies must do more to clean up their act, judges rule Environmentalists call the decision a ‘watershed moment,’ as concerns about groundwater pollution mount in Yakima Valley and Whatcom County. by Courtney Flatt Northwest Public Broadcasting / July 13, 2021
Environment Heat wave evokes fears of another massive salmon die-off in PNW Unprecedented temperatures recall a 2015 heat wave that killed 99% of salmon returning to one stretch of the Snake River. by Courtney Flatt Northwest Public Broadcasting / July 7, 2021
Environment Climate crisis, shrinking habitat threaten ‘cute, funny’ WA birds U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers listing Mt. Rainier ptarmigan on the federal endangered species list. by Courtney Flatt Northwest Public Broadcasting / July 6, 2021
News Cruise ships returning to Seattle as pandemic restrictions ease The big tourism business may give the city an economic boost, but it also reopens a clash between business and the environment. by Gregory Scruggs / May 28, 2021
Environment Sniffing out truffles in Washington’s woods The state hosts a bounty of truffles for enterprising gourmands — but finding them requires a dog’s superpowered nose. by Courtney Flatt Northwest Public Broadcasting / May 21, 2021