Too Long, Too Silent: The Threat to Cedar and the Sacred Ways of the Skokomish
Abstract
Five hundred years after the discovery of Columbus, the sunset of 1993 will probably be followed by another sad day of natural resources being unceremoniously manipulated without regard to their critical role in our survival. To American Indian and Alaska Native peoples determined to maintain their traditional cultures, all natural resources are essential living entities. Here the authors first share with the reader why our tribe, the Skokomish of Washington State, have a concern for the Cedar’s fate. The next section of this article describes, in a traditional voice, the importance of Cedar and why a sacred bond exists between the Skokomish and the Cedar. The third section addresses some of the legal issues surrounding efforts to protect Cedar and concludes with strategies on how to continue approaching this issue in the court system. The fourth section describes how the disappearance of Cedar is adversely affecting the survival of our traditional culture. In closing, the discussion turns to how Cedar’s quiet disappearance affects traditional education practices among the current generation of Skokomish and what the tribe is doing to maintain their culture.