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THE ASTORIAN • THuRSdAy, MAy 27, 2021
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
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GUEST COLUMN
We cannot afford to wait
I
f social justice matters to our con-
gressional delegation, which we
believe it does, then it is long past
time to restore federal recognition to
the Chinook Indian Nation. The respon-
sibility and power to do so is entirely
within the capability of Congress, and
every day of delay or inaction is another
day of justice denied,
another day of injustice
perpetuated.
After decades of work
and mountains of histor-
ical and legal evidence,
the Chinook Nation was
formally recognized at
TONY
the end of the Clinton
JOHNSON
administration. Finally, it
seemed, a centuries-old
attempt at genocide had
been reversed. But then,
with much less analy-
sis and biased, factually
inaccurate arguments,
the Bush administration
unilaterally rescinded the
BRIAN
recognition.
BAIRD
Doing so essentially
validated ethnic cleansing by declaring,
falsely, that one of the most iconic and
historically significant peoples of our
region, the tribe that greeted and saved
the Lewis and Clark expedition, had
been exterminated and would no longer
be deemed to exist.
The effect has been devastating to
the Chinook. Many of the Chinook peo-
ple of Washington state and Oregon have
died unnecessarily due to inadequate
health care, been denied educational and
housing opportunities and been unable to
benefit from federal and state resources.
The pain and damage are crushingly
acute now during the COVID-19 pan-
demic. Recent federal stimulus legis-
lation allocated an unprecedented and
unlikely-to-be-repeated $43 billion to
improve health care, education, pro-
vide broadband and support other vital
needs across some of the country’s poor-
est tribal communities. Tribes nation-
wide also are planning for years of future
work in anticipation of an upcoming
infrastructure bill.
But the Chinook have not received
one penny of that support because it only
flows to recognized tribes. To add insult
to injury, if recognition is not restored
soon, Chinook families also stand to
lose even the land allotments once spe-
cifically set aside in their name by the
government.
The Chinook Indian Nation is
made up of the five westernmost Chi-
nookan-speaking tribes at the mouth of
the Columbia River. Our nearly 70-year-
old constitution identifies our five con-
stituent tribes — the Clatsop and Cath-
lamet (Kathlamet) of present-day Oregon
Ashley Nerbovig/Chinook Observer
Chinook Indian Nation Chairman Tony Johnson leads a march to the U.S. District Court in Tacoma last year.
THE CHINOOK PEOPLE ARE LOSING
THEIR LIVES, THEIR OPPORTuNITIES, THEIR
PROPERTy ANd THEIR RIGHTS. WE CANNOT
AFFORd TO WAIT ANy LONGER, ANd WE
LOOK TO yOu TO RIGHT THIS WRONG.
and the Lower Chinook, Wahkiakum
(Waukikum) and Willapa (Weelappa) of
what is now Washington state.
It is not only the Chinook Nation that
suffers. Pacific County, where much of
the Chinook tribal homeland is located,
has the highest unemployment levels in
the state, and average family incomes are
far below the state and national average.
Providing needed federal resources to
the Chinook would help strengthen the
local economy for all residents, sustain
local hospitals, support regional infra-
structure, bring additional housing and
jobs and enhance the region’s natural
resources.
It must be emphasized that no one
gets hurt by Chinook recognition, and
support for the Chinook is broad and
deep. Local and regional governments
have endorsed recognition, as have many
other tribes in Washington and Oregon.
Prominent individuals such as filmmaker
Ken Burns, descendants of the Lewis
and Clark expedition and tens of thou-
sands of Americans have written let-
ters and signed petitions supporting the
Chinook.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and U.S. Sen.
Maria Cantwell spoke favorably when
the Chinook were first recognized, as did
many other current and former members
of our congressional delegation. Now,
with new leadership in the White House
and Congress, with the first ever Native
American secretary of the U.S. Depart-
ment of the Interior and with a reali-
zation that complacency in the face of
social injustice is complicity, our delega-
tion must act and lead.
It is all too easy to look the other way,
pass the buck, leave it up to the Bureau
of Indian Affairs, or insist that anyone
who had opposed recognition before
would have to consent now. Those
responses are all too familiar. But the
cause of civil rights and social justice
would have made no progress if Con-
gress failed to act or insisted that the
oppressors had to give permission for the
oppressed to gain their rights.
The fact is, Congress has not granted
the Bureau of Indian Affairs authority to
reverse its prior reversals and restore rec-
ognition, but the Congress itself unques-
tionably has the authority to recognize
tribes. That is exactly how Republicans
and Democrats from Montana worked
together in 2019 to restore recognition
for the Little Shell.
We ask our delegation to do the same
for the Chinook people. Please, join
together now and commit to enacting
full restoration and recognition for the
Chinook Indian Nation before the end of
this session of Congress.
The Chinook people are losing their
lives, their opportunities, their property
and their rights. We cannot afford to wait
any longer, and we look to you to right
this wrong.
Tony Johnson is chairman of the Chi-
nook Indian Nation. Brian Baird was the
democratic representative from Wash-
ington’s 3rd Congressional district for
six terms. He now resides in Edmonds.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Race against time
he COVID-19 outbreak in India is a
humanitarian crisis with global impli-
cations. It’s also a powerful reminder that
we won’t end this pandemic anywhere,
unless we end it everywhere.
The world is facing a vaccine access
crisis. While wealthy countries continue
ramping up vaccinations, only about 0.4%
of COVID-19 vaccines globally have been
administered to people in low-income
countries. The U.S. alone has secured well
over 550 million excess COVID-19 vac-
cine doses.
We are in a race against time. These
vaccines are desperately needed around
the world, and will save lives and stem
further mutations that could result in a
resurgence of the virus in the U.S., and
around the world.
Gov. Kate Brown, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merk-
ley and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden should call
on the Biden administration to do more to
share America’s vaccine stockpile equita-
bly with countries in need.
Regardless of whether you live in
Astoria or Algiers, we’re all in this fight
together. Sharing excess vaccines isn’t
just the humane thing to do, it’s the smart
thing to do to reduce the spread of vari-
ants, reopen our global economy and help
to end this pandemic faster, everywhere.
ELIZABETH DIX
Beaverton
T
Strengthen democracy
n behalf of Indivisible North Coast
Oregon, I’m writing to thank U.S.
Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merk-
ley for their leadership regarding the For
the People Act. Merkley sponsored the
bill, and Wyden is a co-sponsor.
O
As a grassroots group dedicated to
defending democracy and promoting civic
engagement, we know how essential this
legislation is. It goes without saying that
Congress must protect voters, limit gerry-
mandering and guarantee fair and transpar-
ent elections throughout the U.S., as this
bill would do.
The For the People Act will prevent
more Republican-sponsored anti-de-
mocracy voter suppression bills in states
around the country. The GOP’s work
to undermine democracy weakens our
country, and creates cynicism and fear
where there should be cooperation and
confidence.
Powerful groups, including the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, oppose the For
the People Act, so everyone who wants
a healthy democracy must tell their U.S.
senators to vote for this legislation.
We urge both senators to continue to
work to pass this bill. We urge Orego-
nians to contact our senators in support;
then they can show their reluctant GOP
colleagues that the public wants them to
strengthen our democracy. Their contact
information is at incoregon.org
LAURIE CAPLAN
Indivisible North Coast Oregon
Astoria
Intense burden
o the Cannon Beach City Council: I
am writing to oppose the proposed
food and beverage tax on restaurants and
eateries.
Please consider the intense burden
restaurants are already weathering, with
the effects of the pandemic fast and deep.
Were it not for federal assistance, most
restaurant employees would be in dire
financial situations, especially those rely-
T
ing on tips.
We are among the fortunate few able
to expand our outdoor seating, yet not
enough to compensate for operating at
25% to 50% capacity. Revenue loss has
been extraordinary, and such a tax makes
our slow recovery even harder.
Software updates, additional processing
and labor for staff training are just a few
costs associated with an added tax. More
detrimental are the incalculable costs —
challenges from customers in a state where
value added taxes are not the norm, slower
table turnaround, lower employee tips and
revenue lost to other areas free of such a
tax.
Customer goodwill to the area will suf-
fer substantially and restaurants will bear
the loss. Please consider any alternative to
this tax. Our restaurant has been a desti-
nation for locals and travelers alike for 77
years, and we do not take that support for
granted.
I remain respectfully grateful for the
quick decisions and flexibility of the
city in allowing us to remain open safely
during these challenging months, and cer-
tainly support your efforts in service of our
community — but not with this tax.
PAUL NOFIELD
Owner, Driftwood Restaurant and Lounge
Cannon Beach