3. People and Forest Plants

Newcomers to the northwestern coast of North America can easily overlook the continuing legacy of settlement wars on forests. Battles were fought in homelands of indigenous people because settlers sought arable land and United States government policies encouraged westward expansion. Within two generations, profound changes have altered regional landscapes, cultures, and systems of learning. Women and men born in the early twentieth century share their knowledge of earlier times with children and grandchildren. Yet, as this elderly generation dwindles and immigration increases, fewer and fewer residents know directly of the traditional practices and historic events that influence regional waters, forests, people, and plants. Tribally reserved and ceded lands cover thousands of hectares along the Pacific Northwest coast, but estimates of their extent and use vary among state and federal agencies, treaty and nontreaty tribes (OTR 2015). Reserved lands are for exclusive tribal use, whereas ceded lands are off-reservation lands where tribal people retain some rights. Old lessons about people and forest plants can inform modern questions about the entire region. Relearning and adapting these old lessons will need new generations of leaders who understand the interrelationship of all life.