Latest news with #Lummi
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Washington border county is desperate for Canadians
People have roamed across the 49th parallel on the west flank of North America for hundreds of years. Lately, many are thinking twice. Canadians frequently stop by Blaine, Washington, for gas, dairy and other staples that tend to be cheaper across the border. But the trade and diplomatic fight U.S. President Donald Trump has picked with America's northern neighbor is causing more Canadians to stay home. Their boycotts have put business owners in Blaine and surrounding Whatcom County on edge, wondering how long the area's economy can survive with fewer visitors from British Columbia to fuel it. 'There's just no one around,' said Mike Hill, who runs a Chevron station in Blaine, population 6,200. Gasoline sales have dropped by 40% to 50% in the past few months, he said, and even the garbage cans by the pumps now rarely need emptying. 'It's crazy. Canadians are like our brothers and sisters with just that border between us,' Hill said. Whatcom County has been a borderland for centuries. The longtime home of Indigenous peoples including the Northwest Coast Indians, the Lummi, Nooksack, Samish and Semiahmoo, the region was later claimed by Spain, Russia, England and the United States, according to the county's official website. Once part of the disputed Oregon Country territory, it was split in two by a treaty between the British and American governments in 1846, creating the northern boundary of the western United States. Whatcom County was established eight years later, 35 years before Washington gained statehood. Coal, gold and lumber once lured thousands to the area, but the promise of savings draws shoppers there now. Canadians can skirt international shipping fees by having online purchases delivered to mailboxes and parcel stores in Blaine and nearby border towns. But crossings from Canada have plummeted amid the political standoff, and recent exchange rates haven't helped. 'I am angry at the Trump administration for their arrogant and heavy-handed treatment of us,' said Tom Mills. The retired college instructor from Vancouver said he visited the United States half a dozen times last year but opted against visiting an ill friend in Oregon a few weeks ago. That trip would've involved refueling his car with American gas and his stomach with meals at a breakfast spot in Blaine and a Mexican restaurant in Bellingham, the seat of Whatcom County and its largest city. 'It saddens me that many workers and businesses might suffer from our actions,' Mills said, 'but we will do whatever it takes to avoid supporting the U.S., and especially the Trump regime, until this hostile nonsense is stopped.' The Trump administration dismissed concerns about diminished cross-border economic activity. 'President Trump's agenda to make America wealthy, safe and beautiful again benefits Americans and international visitors alike,' a White House spokesperson said, adding that his policies are 'helping small businesses and families across the country.' Canadian vehicle traffic entering the United States at Whatcom County's three crossings fell by 65,000 in the first three weeks of March, about 42% lower than the same period a year ago and steeper than the 30% -drop in February, according to Western Washington University's Border Policy Research Institute. 'There are typically two people per car, so that represents over 100,000 [lost] visits,' said institute director Laurie Trautman. Sales at Bella Boutique & Consignment in downtown Blaine have more than halved, said owner Martha Bermudez, 'far beyond the usual winter slowdown.' She knows many U.S. shoppers are spending more cautiously but said she didn't realize how many of her customers were Canadian 'until they started disappearing.' If things don't turn soon, Bermudez added, 'we may not be able to keep our doors open.' Next door, Sarbie Bains, owner of Blaine Bouquets and Gifts, said business is down by 30% to 40%. 'I used to have a ton of Canadian walk-in traffic, but we have nothing right now,' she said. Down the street, Gary Slavin said he's seen comments on Canadian Facebook pages urging people not to support the Gateway 1890 Taphouse & Grill, which he co-owns with his wife, because it's an American business. It isn't exactly — Slavin is a Canadian green card holder who has lived in the United States for the past decade. Fortunately, he said, 'we're still seeing many of our regulars.' A few Canadians are still stopping by the Blaine visitor center, said local Chamber of Commerce Secretary Carroll Solomon, but it's often just to use the public bathroom. A few yards away one recent Sunday, Trent Arce and Gary Farrow were chatting by the welcome sign at the town entrance that reads 'Blaine, Washington, the Peace Arch City,' referring to its 67-foot monument to bilateral concord. The two co-workers at a nearby cold storage facility weren't too worried about the dearth of Canadians. Trump 'is very wild with the things he says and does,' shrugged Arce, a transplant from Georgia. 'People will get over it,' said Farrow, a Blaine native. 'I think it will go away.' Blaine Mayor Mary Lou Steward has reason to hope they're right. The town was already feeling pinched from inflation before Trump's tariff threats ramped up, and she said she now worries 'we may have to start dealing with furloughs' due to falling sales tax revenue. The Canadian boycotters are forcing some Washington state business owners to answer for decision-makers in Washington, D.C. 'One woman wrote to say that while our inn is amazing, our president has offended and disrespected Canadians, so now she can't bring herself to cross the border,' said Teri Treat, managing partner of The Inn at Lynden. The 35-room property — about 15 miles southeast of Blaine, in a town known for its Dutch-immigrant heritage and architecture — has seen a spike in cancellations by Canadians, she said. 'We responded by saying we are truly shocked and saddened by the policies of this administration and understand how she must feel,' Treat said. Another 30 minutes south, bookings at the Bellingham Airport Holiday Inn & Suites have crashed, too, with first-quarter revenue down 28% from the same period a year earlier, said general manager MegAnne Offredi. 'We started seeing the drop in visitors first with the exchange rate being so low. Then we saw another drop when the political climate started to change,' she said. 'We are starting to see similar negative trends that Covid brought to this industry five years ago,' Offredi said. 'To think we could be headed back in that direction after finally recovering from the pandemic has us all on edge.' County tourism officials are rattled but optimistic that major events later this year will retain their cross-border appeal. 'Our concern goes beyond lodging numbers,' said Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism President Dylan Deane-Boyle. The Northwest Raspberry Festival, the Northwest Washington Fair and the Sea to Ski Race are all popular annual gatherings that make use of the area's outdoor attractions and boost its economy. Deane-Boyle said he hopes the area's 'long and rich friendship with British Columbia, one built on shared geography, respect and trust,' will win out over international discord. 'We want our friends in Canada to know that our community will always receive them with a warm welcome,' he said. 'We understand the situation and hope they will return whenever they feel ready.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
13-04-2025
- Business
- NBC News
This Washington border county is desperate for Canadians
People have roamed across the 49th parallel on the west flank of North America for hundreds of years. Lately, many are thinking twice. Canadians frequently stop by Blaine, Washington, for gas, dairy and other staples that tend to be cheaper across the border. But the trade and diplomatic fight U.S. President Donald Trump has picked with America's northern neighbor is causing more Canadians to stay home. Their boycotts have put business owners in Blaine and surrounding Whatcom County on edge, wondering how long the area's economy can survive with fewer visitors from British Columbia to fuel it. 'There's just no one around,' said Mike Hill, who runs a Chevron station in Blaine, population 6,200. Gasoline sales have dropped by 40% to 50% in the past few months, he said, and even the garbage cans by the pumps now rarely need emptying. 'It's crazy. Canadians are like our brothers and sisters with just that border between us,' Hill said. Whatcom County has been a borderland for centuries. The longtime home of Indigenous peoples including the Northwest Coast Indians, the Lummi, Nooksack, Samish and Semiahmoo, the region was later claimed by Spain, Russia, England and the United States, according to the county's official website. Once part of the disputed Oregon Country territory, it was split in two by a treaty between the British and American governments in 1846, creating the northern boundary of the western United States. Whatcom County was established eight years later, 35 years before Washington gained statehood.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State bans controversial industry with landmark ruling: 'I don't believe that cost is worth it'
In a win for marine conservation, Washington state has permanently banned commercial fish farming in its waters. The Washington State Board of Natural Resources announced it voted to prohibit commercial net pen aquaculture on state-owned waters, marking the end of a 40-year industry in Puget Sound. The decision means Washington is the first place worldwide to remove and permanently ban commercial net pens. This move will help safeguard wild salmon populations and the endangered orcas that depend on them. The ban follows a 2018 incident where a net pen collapsed off Cypress Island, releasing over 250,000 Atlantic salmon into Puget Sound. Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz emphasized the environmental stakes: "No one can say these facilities don't have an impact. They do. There's a cost to our agency, there's a cost to our waters and our bedlands, there's a cost to our salmon and our orcas. I don't believe that cost is worth it." While many celebrated this as a victory for ocean health, some tribal leaders and industry experts raised concerns. Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, pointed to the potential economic impacts. "The board has chosen to prioritize politics and misinformation over scientific evidence and collaborative stewardship," he told the Global Seafood Alliance. "Even more troubling is the disregard shown for our Tribe's sovereign rights to utilize our marine resources in our own fishery for the economic betterment of the Tribe." To address these concerns, the rule includes exceptions for hatcheries that restore or boost native fish stocks. This provision helps maintain tribal fishing rights while supporting wild salmon recovery efforts. Other tribal nations strongly support the ban. Lisa Wilson, Lummi Indian Business Council member, stated, "Banning net pens is not only a step toward environmental stewardship, but also a critical measure to uphold and respect the Treaty rights of all Tribes. The Lummi nation stands firm in our commitment to safeguarding our shared resources and cultural heritage." Should we be harnessing the ocean to power our homes? Absolutely Leave it be It depends I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The DNR reports 80% of public comments backed the ban. Emma Helverson, executive director of the Wild Fish Conservancy, praised the decision, saying, "Their leadership reflects an understanding that the pollution and detrimental effects of this industry directly undermine public, tribal and government efforts to protect and restore wild salmon and starving orcas." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Indigenous youth and women shaping environmental futures
Luna Reyna Underscore Native News + ICT After Santana Rabang began working with Children of the Setting Sun Productions as an 25-year-old, she felt a change inside herself. 'That's when I was really starting to find my voice as an Indigenous woman,' Rabang, Lummi, Nooksack and First Nations Shxwhá:y Village, told Underscore Native News + ICT. 'The place-based education really empowered me to start using my voice, and I was pretty outspoken during that time.' Children of the Setting Sun Productions is an Indigenous-led nonprofit based in Bellingham, Washington that focuses on cultural education and environmental justice through film, podcasting and other forms of storytelling. Each of their major projects includes Indigenous youth, what they call their 'Young Tribal Leaders,' in some way. Rabang began working with CSSP in 2021 through a connection at Northwest Indian College where she was a student. Shortly after starting as an assistant, it became clear that Rabang had more of an affinity and talent for production than administration. She has since worked on several episodes of the 'Young and Indigenous' podcast that has been produced by Native youth at CSSP since January 2020. Rabang has also contributed to CSSP's Salmon People Project, which has three main components: gathering, documentary, and research. Rabang took a lead role on research, conducted with regional Native nations, including a series of audio interviews with those who identified as Salmon People. Researchers asked questions about their identity in connection to salmon, the history of fishing in their families and who they would be without salmon. Through her role on these projects and her personal passions, Rabang, now 29, has been invited to speak about Indigenous rights and environmental justice at schools and cultural events revolving around dam removal, salmon restoration, tribal disenrollment, and even blood quantum. Those experiences, and their themes, have shaped who she is today. 'Anytime that I'm able to speak on behalf of our people or speak on behalf of any injustices that we've endured as Indigenous peoples has really made me feel proud to walk in my own skin,' Rabang said. While working on the Salmon People documentary film project, she formed relationships with many Indigenous women in leadership positions in environmental justice movements, which inspired a new series on the 'Young and Indigenous' podcast called Healing Women Heals Mother Earth. 'We have so many young tribal leaders here at CSSP, and I think that the 'Young and Indigenous' podcast has just been an outlet for us to continue that creative freedom that we have here,' Rabang said. Healing Women Heals Mother Earth (HWHME) is a five-part podcast series that highlights women's leadership within grassroot movements, and how they take care of themselves while being involved in high-level advocacy work. 'It's important we talk about how self care is essential to being an advocate,' Rabang said in the December 20 introductory podcast to the HWHME series. 'While the movements we fight for are important, so is our mental health and well-being as women.' Rabang describes herself as a daughter, an auntie, a student activist and a canoeing paddler during an episode in which she interviews Alyssa Macy, citizen of Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and CEO of Washington Conservation Action. Macy describes herself as an activist, a relative, an auntie, a sister and a caretaker of the planet. In leading policy, Washington Conservation Action works with communities to find solutions to address impacts of climate change. On the advocacy side, the organization holds elected officials accountable and helps to elect individuals believed to be allies on environmental issues. The group also helps fund Native Vote Washington, a Native-led collaborative working to increase the political empowerment, education and engagement of Native Peoples in the political process in Washington state. Rabang traveled all over the state with Macy as a fellow for Native Vote this fall. During the podcast, Rabang and Macy reminisce fondly about organizing in local Native communities, even when staying in tents on the Makah Reservation in the pouring rain. 'That's when I feel most inspired, is when we're actually on the ground, doing the work, meeting people in person, talking to them, and just getting that elderly input, too, and that knowledge that they share with us is just so rewarding,' Rabang said. During episode two of HWHME, Rabang interviews Vanessa Castle, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Castle is the tribal engagement coordinator at Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group, a nonprofit organization led by all women, representing Native American tribes in natural and cultural resource matters. A major focus right now is Klamath River restoration after the largest dam removal project in the world took place on that river. Castle also worked on the Yellow River Restoration, the former largest dam project in the world. For Castle, the familial relationships that have been built throughout the collaborative work with CSSP have been wonderfully meaningful. 'During this process, we've seen an uprising of these strong Indigenous women who are supportive of one another, and it's been the most beautiful journey for all of us,' Castle shared on the podcast. 'And I know that we're building a family, right, from many different nations.' The podcast is one facet of what CSSP is calling their Women's Initiative. The relationships built with women in leadership positions at CSSP through other projects have grown into mentorship relationships for the youth involved there. Inter-generational talking circles have been facilitated with women at the frontline of environmental justice and Indigenous sovereignty. 'It's really powerful stuff when you put all these women in a circle with one another, and you just allow them to just say what's on their heart, on their mind,' Rabang said. 'And a lot of it is [that] we can relate to one another… And so it's really just a support system as well.' The podcast has been a way to further amplify these leaders' voices, and share the lessons of their path and the tools they've learned for self care with youth, and the general public, who may be on similar paths. 'The center of it is our health and wellness as women,' Rabang said. The continued focus on Native women leaders can be seen on every CSSP project on and off camera, and in each of these projects, the CSSP team is connecting with other people, and those people are connecting with each other. 'In 2023, we hosted our annual salmon people gathering in Sacramento where we opened the gathering with a women's circle,' Santana shared. 'This circle [was] women who walk all different paths of life but came together with one common goal, giving a voice to salmon. During this gathering a lot of women were able to connect with one another, and not feel so alone in their work.' Castle, who previously worked as the fisheries and wildlife technician for Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, met Amy Cordalis, who founded Ridges to Riffles, an Indigenous conservation group. Now, Castle works with Cordalis as the Ridges to Riffles tribal engagement coordinator. The mentorship aspect of the women's initiative has also been powerful for everyone involved. For Castle, it has given her hope for the future. 'Maybe when my time here is done, this is your role,' Castle said to Rabang in episode two of the HWHME series. 'You'll have to take over, just like I'm trying to take over for the ones who have laid the path before us. Like all of our ancestors that came before us, that have fought to be where we're at right now … I think that was the most powerful.' As matriarchs, life givers, caretakers, and knowledge keepers, Rabang said, Indigenous women's care for themselves can often come last. Taking a step back and having conversations about how to care for their own mental, spiritual and physical needs is key to those other roles. 'As women, we're also fighting to really break generational trauma and not carry that on to future generations, so it's important to take a step back and just figure out how we can cater to our mental, physical and spiritual well being, so that we're not carrying any of that pain or trauma or grief into any of the work that we're doing,' Rabang said. She believes that HWHME speaks to Indigenous women's collective healing, which is tied to and impacts the health of Mother Earth. 'Our self growth becomes parallel with our environmental stewardship, because I believe that when we heal, we help heal those around us, and when we help heal those around us we're able to contribute more to the healing of Mother Earth, and we just become more aware of how our actions may harm Mother Earth and what we can do to really prevent those things from happening,' Rabang told Underscore + ICT. The women chosen for the podcast series embody this idea, according to Rabang, and being able to have honest conversations with one another on the podcast for others to hear and learn from was important. 'When it comes to our health and well being as a woman, when we're able to talk about what has helped us within our healing journey, it allows other people to really not feel alone in their journey as well,' Rabang said. This collective healing journey became all the more important when Rabang and others realized during their conversations that a lot of women leading many of these grassroots movements have felt alone in the work. After Macy was diagnosed with cancer in 2022, she had to push past that feeling of being alone to ask for help. 'It would make me, like, want to crawl out of my skin to get on the phone and call people and say, 'Hey, I'm going to need some help,'' Macy told Rabang on the podcast. So she asked people to send her 'snail mail,' and was pleasantly surprised to receive hundreds of letters and cards from people telling her 'how much they loved me.' 'I didn't know that I needed to hear that — you know, I didn't know that that was something that was missing for me — and so having that opportunity for people to just express what they thought about me, to tell me how much they loved me, or how much they appreciated me, was such a gift because I had been walking through a lot of my life thinking that I was by myself,' she said. Macy said cancer also taught her that she needed to prioritize her spiritual health, that she can't fix everyone or their problems, and how to set boundaries. 'I know I can't fix everything, but what I know I can do is be in relationship with other folks, be inspired. Show up when people need me to show up and, importantly, live your life,' she said. 'I wish that I had an auntie at that time who would have said that to me and just said, 'Girl, go live your life. You deserve that. Go be who the Creator wanted you to be.'' On the podcast, Castle speaks passionately about her connection to land, water and salmon, recalling a fond memory of when Congress passed the Elwha River Ecosystem and Restoration Act in 1992. 'We were hugging and crying and high fiving and singing and dancing and breaking bread together,' Castle said. 'I remember that day and having prayers at the river and telling the fish it'll be okay, and just having that connection again.' But it took several years for the dams to actually begin to be removed, and people started losing hope. When Castle started working for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe's Natural Resources Department, she reminded people of their connection to the river and why the removal was so important. 'We need to feed ourselves, we need to feed our spirit, and that connection to the salmon is more than just food for us, right?' she said. 'And so I feel like … our ancestors sent me there to deliver a message, because some of those scientists had forgotten the reason the dams came out. Yes, it was for the salmon, but because our people fought for them.' Both dams were finally removed over three years from 2011 to 2014, re-opening more than 70 miles of pristine salmon habitat and traditional fishing sites. 'Remember who you are and where you came from, and remember that you are of this land, that you are a part of this ecosystem,' Castle later told Rabang during the podcast. 'We are one of the keystone species in these ecosystems, and you're needed.' 'Often Western science removes humans from that, but us as Indigenous people, [we] are very necessary for all things in the ecosystem here,' she continued. 'So reminding yourself that you belong here, you are of this land, birthed out of this river, wherever it is, your creation stories, just lean back into that. You'll remember who you are.' The care the women have for each other in the podcast, Macy said, will carry us all through the next four years of the new administration. 'Washington State is a place where I think dreams are going to be very possible in the next four years and we're going to have a lot of hard work to do,' Macy said. 'And I just wake up every morning pretty much defiant, and I'm like, I'm ready to fight. Whatever that looks like. I'm ready to do it.' Macy hopes to keep dreaming of a better future and working toward that collectively with youth, learning and leading with love along the way. 'This is the time for us to lead with love,' Macy said. 'I know that we care deeply about our communities and about the future of our communities, and leading with love for me means taking care of myself, loving myself, loving the people around me.' Santana echoed Macy's sentiments about the hard work of the next four years, responding, 'warrior up.' Her vision for her future has changed since meeting Macy, Castle and others through CSSP. Now, when she returns to college, she plans to pursue a multimedia career that would align with her work at CSSP and could take her further in the organization. The rest of the five-part series will include Frances Charles, chairwoman of Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe; Kaylani Scott, executive director of the Columbia and Snake River Campaign; and Amy Cordalis, Molly Myers and Ashley Bowers of Ridges to Riffles, who led the Klamath dam removal and are now leading a lot of work with the restoration project. 'With all the things that have happened since the election there's a lot of grieving and shock, but the possibilities are still there, and here in Washington State I think we can do really great things,' Macy said. 'So young folks, young women, all people in our communities, just need to remember how much we love one another, love our families. That love is going to drive us to do incredible things going forward and I'll be here with all of you through that.'
