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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2020)
A4 THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020 OPINION editor@dailyastorian.com KARI BORGEN Publisher DERRICK DePLEDGE Editor Founded in 1873 JEREMY FELDMAN Circulation Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN Production Manager CARL EARL Systems Manager GUEST COLUMN Opening a door to a new era Dick Basch Guy Capoeman skippers the Dragonfl y, the Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated Tribes’ cedar dugout canoe, at the estuary near the Ne-ah-coxie site with his daughter, Ilia, and tribal members Charlotte and Lorraine Basch. T urning the page on Clatsop Coun- ty’s complicated history with n ative peoples, on May 5 the North Coast Land Conservancy trans- ferred ownership of the historic site of Neacoxie village to the Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated Tribes. This transfer means so much to so many people: the ongoing preservation of the Necanicum w atershed and Sea- side e stuary, the strengthening of com- munity relationships and partnerships, the formal stewardship of land in Sea- side by tribal people for the fi rst time in generations. Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen an outpour of support, excitement and curi- osity in response to the transfer. As an i ndigenous woman who grew up in Sea- side with family ties to the Clatsop-Ne- halem, and as an enrolled member of the Puyallup Tribe, this transfer also signi- fi es the opening of a door to a new era of tribal representation and community healing. Growing up on the Oregon Coast, I was lucky to have never felt outcast or looked down upon. Never once did I experience overt racism or discrimina- tion for the color of my skin or the lin- eage of my family. I did, however, feel the constant pressure of ensuring that my family, my ancestors, my individual exis- tence as a n ative woman were never for- gotten or misinterpreted. I did anxiously sit through “informa- tional” videos or casual conversations prepared to hear variations of the sen- tence, “T here are no Native Americans Charlotte Basch is Clatsop-Nehalem and an enrolled member of the Puyallup Tribe. here anymore, they are all extinct.” In a county which takes its name from the very people who once occupied and cared for the land in numbers greater than we can imagine today, my educa- tion and communal interactions con- sisted of surprisingly little information on our community’s rich tribal history. But today, things are different. Today, I hear about Clatsop County youth reaching out to local tribes to con- duct school history projects. I read infor- mational signage referencing the historic and ongoing presence of Clatsop and other tribal people in our community. And, I get to walk the trails at Neacoxie knowing that my ancestors who once called that place home see their people as the primary caretakers of their land once again. More than that, n ative and non n a- tive youth growing up in our commu- nity today will never know a Clatsop County without the public representation of tribal people. Almost one year ago exactly, our rel- atives to the north, the Chinook Nation, purchased Tansy Point near Warren- ton — the site where in 1851 several independent tribal nations of the lower Columbia River signed treaties with the United States g overnment, only to later be unratifi ed. So many promises made at that site were broken and forgotten, but with that land once again in tribal owner- ship, the shared history of that place will live on. Our relatives ownership of our shared treaty grounds makes me proud and gives me hope. These feelings are rekin- dled today with the transfer of Neacoxie, and the outpour of positive response. One of the promises made on that August day in 1851 was that the Clat- sop Tribe would, “be at liberty to occupy, as formerly, the fi shing grounds at the mouth of the Neacoxsa Creek, when- ever they wish to do so for the purpose of fi shing.” Neacoxie was promised to the Clat- sop people nearly 170 years ago. Today, i ndigenous people are regaining some of their most culturally signifi cant lands — Clatsop-Nehalem in Seaside, Chinook at Tansy Point — creating a synergy and support of our tribe’s mutual interest to protect and care for the lands that mat- ter most. Today, I am proud to not only be a Clatsop, Nehalem and Puyallup woman, but I am also proud to be part of our Clatsop County community. Today, we are coming together, no matter our dif- ferences, to make things right for both past and future generations. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Something to think about T he following statement was made as part of the description of the movie “Swing Shift”: “A time when ordinary cit- izens bonded to accomplish extraordinary things. There was no other time like it, and it changed our way of life forever.” The message immediately brought to mind the similarity to the current COVID- 19 pandemic we now face. I feel it is important to share to those who are tak- ing this virus as seriously as is needed, and following guidelines to help prevent its spread, and also to give those who are not — something to think about. For those who don’t have any con- nection with family or friends, who went through World War II, this says it all. We have the opportunity now, at this time, to do the same. To work together to keep us all safe, and reconnect with the commonal- ity we all truly share. My thanks to those on the front lines, working around the clock to help those who have become ill, and also to those taking the precautions needed to help keep us all safe. NANCY GLARUM Warrenton Get over it I have heard various Trumpians utter the insensitive mantra: “Get over it!” The sad thing about it is, the more they dismiss the real concerns others have about how this administration is affect- ing our country, the more they will double down on bringing out the facts. I doubt if they really stop to objectively examine why so many have resisted Pres- ident Donald Trump from the start. I have lived through many Republican presi- dents, and have never felt this way. Why? Because they all acted in a reasonable manner. Never before in our history has a pres- ident been more reviled by people both inside and outside our borders. Trumpi- ans have mistaken this as a consequence for draining the swamp, when it’s quite the opposite. The swamp President Trump cre- ated is the worst in American history. Do you think I get pleasure from any of it? I have never felt such a sense of shame and dread about being an American. He has alienated us from allies, and even worse, each other. Trump churlishly lashes out at anyone who disagrees with him. He stupidly mused about using disinfectants, when scientists know it’s impossible. He ignored the warnings of our intelli- gence agencies about the virus, and contin- ues to delay developing more tests, while lying about the availability of them. Mixed messages and misinformation permeate his methods. We’re all stuck at home, and people are dying unnecessarily as a result of his inac- tion, and you say, “Get over it?” No way. BRENTON KAHLE Astoria Discouraged W hile I’m glad that things are going back to normal (more or less), I am discouraged that some things are doing not so fi ne. Like for instance, I’ve heard the Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festi- val has been canceled, even though it’s not due until June (“Scandinavian festival can- celed over virus concerns,” The Astorian, April 16). With the supposed plan to end the lock- down, I was so hoping for at least some baby steps for things to go back to nor- mal. If the coronavirus does slow down with summer coming, and with plenty of time for a vaccine to be ready, I was hop- ing everything could just go back the way it was, and that includes events, for if the lockdown ends, I would expect everything being the way it was by June. I’m just saying it isn’t fair for the lock- down to end with not everything opened up again. DYLAN MILLIREN Seaside Wellness S o, in the middle of the pandemic, The Astorian chose to do a profi le on a “wellness provider” (“Wellness provider responds to coronavirus,” April 21 ). Now, I’m sure that Paula Crossfi eld is a lovely person. The article details how she practices Ayurveda, which is, at the very best, a physically ineffective therapeutic placebo . She also specialized in “essential oils.” A few minutes on Google , and I dis- covered her relationship with doTerra , a predatory m ulti l evel m arketing (MLM) company that has frequent negative inter- actions with the Food and Drug Adminis- tration for misleading claims . It gets even better. Apparently, astrol- ogy — another superstition based on an absolute lack of science — can be used for “a strological remedies.” The only thing people like about this remedy is your money into their pocket. Just ask Steve Jobs. In an age where newspapers are strug- gling to survive, I would hope that this snake-oil salesperson at least paid you for the ink you put to paper for her. Next time, when looking to write a “pandemic medical piece,” please profi le a true medical professional. We have real doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants and others here on the North Coast. Avoid the charlatans, MLM “huns” and their magical thinking. THOMAS ANK Astoria Forestry is essential A s our communities remain at a stand- still, it is becoming increasingly clear that some operations must push for- ward to help provide the vital services and products we all will need in the days and months ahead. As people shelter in their homes, and do what they can to continue working (from home or elsewhere), take care of their fam- ilies and pay their bills, some local resi- dents seem to be trying to stir up fear that forestry activities are jeopardizing life and lungs of those at home in Clatsop County. Concluding that a haze in the air is from forest activities such as burning or herbi- cides is concerning (“Smoky haze,” The Astorian, April 18). If these activities are occurring, they are occurring under strict regulation from the Department of Envi- ronmental Quality and the Oregon Depart- ment of Forestry. We are grateful to our farmers for grow- ing the food on our grocery store shelves and kitchen tables, as well as the foresters growing and harvesting trees in order to keep the vitally important wood and paper products fl owing during this time of crisis. I appeal to the governor to not respond to these opportunistic scare tactics during this time. Forestry professionals are try- ing to ensure society has wood and paper products now, and for future generations. Furthermore, in times of need, it is best not to shut off critical care for our forests or jeopardize an industry that employs thou- sands on the North Coast. JENNY JOHNSON Astoria
