The Evergreen State College

Reservation-Based, Community Determined Program

Speakers’ Series for Enduring Legacies, Native Cases

The Yakama Nation and the Cleanup of Hanford: Contested Meanings

of Environmental Remediation

March 12, 2016

 

Presenters:

 

Daniel Bush, Faculty and author of the Case Study (below) and

Davis Washines, Chair of the Yakama Tribal Nation

 

Topic:  The Yakama Nation and the Cleanup of Hanford: Contested Meanings

             of Environmental Remediation

Date:  Saturday, March 12, 2016     Time:  1:30 p.m.

Place: Evergreen Longhouse

 

The event is free, and everyone is welcome!

 

Website for the case study: http://nativecases.evergreen.edu/collection/cases/the-yakama-nation-and-the-cleanup-of-hanford-contested-meanings-of-environmental-remediation.html

 

Abstract of case study topic:   In 1988, the former Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeastern Washington was designated a Superfund site, and the federal government assumed the responsibility to clean the area of contaminants and toxic waste and make it safe for human use. This case investigates the complex relationship of Native Americans to that cleanup effort.  More specifically, it looks at the role of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation in the cleanup process, and while doing so raises questions about environmental security, justice and ethics, contested concepts of the cleanup and its aftermath, and severe challenges regarding treaty rights and obligations.

 

Biography for Daniel Bush, Author of the case, The Yakama Nation and the Cleanup of Hanford: Contested Meanings of Environmental Remediation

 

Dan Bush is adjunct faculty in history at Peninsula College in Port Angeles and South Seattle College in West Seattle. Dan earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Washington, and teaches a wide variety of courses including PNW History, American History, Women’s History, the Vietnamese-American War, Southeast Asia, World Civilizations, and an American Government course. He has attended summer institutes in the past and has contributed a case study entitled The Yakama Nation and the Cleanup of Hanford: Contested Meanings of Environmental Remediation. He believes the use of Native Cases provide critical and timely insights and perspectives for both students and faculty.

 Biography for Davis Washines, Chair of the Yakama Tribal Nation

Davis Washines began with the Yakama Tribal Police in 1973.  He had a combined 30 years in law enforcement that spans four decades. He began his career as a dispatcher-jailer for the Yakama Nation in 1973. A year later, he was promoted to police officer and was the top graduate of his U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs Basic Police Academy class in March, 1975. After moving through the ranks, including seven years as a criminal investigator, he was appointed Yakama Nation Chief of Police in February 1986, a position that he held until 1996. A second appointment as Yakama Nation Police Chief came in 2005.He also had various assignments in patrol and criminal investigations.

He also worked as a middle school counselor and one term on Yakama Tribal Council.      He served as the Chief of Police for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission          from 2010-2014, after which he retired from law enforcement.  Upon his retirement from     law enforcement, he shared, “One of the best things to happen to me in my life is to lead       CRITFE, an opportunity and privilege for which I will always be grateful.”  He added             that he has been fortunate to work with some of the best enforcement people in Indian      Country and it has been an honor to serve the tribal fishers and the tribal communities along the Columbia River.”

 

During his tenure, Washines worked with CRITFC’s leadership to secure new       enforcement commissions with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and to restore enforcement          commissions with the Yakama Nation. The tribal enforcement presence along the          Columbia River was improved substantially with the new Bureau of Indian Affairs 638      contract for the in-lieu and treaty fishing access sites. CRITFC was also able to secure       resources for a mobile command center.  Washines was instrumental in the significant           improvement in the relationships with tribal, federal and local jurisdictions.

 

Chief Washines explained when he retired from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fishing   Commission, that he hoped to remain engaged in addressing tribal fishery and justice             needs. Upon retirement, he shared that he looked forward to find ways that he could    continue to support and protect the tribes’ treaty fishing rights along the Columbia.”

 

He kept his word, as he is currently serving as Chair of the Yakama Nation General           Council, which has general oversight authority over the 14-member Yakama Tribal        Council.

 

For more information about this presentation, please contact:  Cindy Marchand-Cecil,       MSW, Program Director, at marchanc@evergreen.edu.

About: The Enduring Legacies, Native Cases Initiative:

The mission of the Enduring Legacies Native Cases Initiative is to develop culturally relevant curriculum and teaching resources in the form of case studies on key issues in Indian Country. Culturally relevant curriculum is a key factor in student success and essential to prepare students for leadership roles. Key topics of our cases have been identified by Native leaders. Our partners in developing and using these cases are Northwest Indian College, Salish Kootenai College, and Grays Harbor College. Field tests at Evergreen began in Fall, 2006 in our Reservation Based/Community Determined program. We welcome you to use our extensive collection of cases and tell us how they worked for you. We are grateful for the support of many local and regional Tribes, the Lumina Foundation for Education, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. The support of our Indian Advisory Board is also deeply appreciated. They helped us identify key issues in Indian Country for our cases. For further information, contact Barbara Leigh Smith at smithb@evergreen.edu. The website for the Native cases initiative is http://nativecases.evergreen.edu/about.html.