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
Opinion UW police lawsuit underscores the intersection of race and class The case, brought by five Black officers, exposes a troubling hallmark of campus life. by Clyde W. Ford / July 5, 2021
Opinion Whether it’s a Black American or a cop, senseless death is a tragedy News of a Seattle police officer being killed while helping a motorist should remind us of our shared humanity. by Clyde W. Ford / June 28, 2021
Opinion Decrying 'critical race theory' in Washington state misses the point Conservative pundits disparage the new anti-racism education laws coming out of Olympia, but there is nothing harmful about telling the truth. by Clyde W. Ford / June 14, 2021
Opinion Reforms aren’t enough to end ‘us vs. them’ policing in America Confronting modern policing’s roots in medieval England and American slavery will do more to make us all safer. by Clyde W. Ford / May 21, 2021
Opinion Washington now recognizes Juneteenth, but there’s more to the story The history behind the holiday is long and troubling, with echoes that persist today. by Clyde W. Ford / April 19, 2021