As executive director of Vancouver-based Confluence, I write today to wholeheartedly agree with former Congressman Brian Baird’s sentiment in Scott Hewitt’s article published on Nov. 24, that the Chinook Nation deserves federal recognition now.
As a small nonprofit focused on art and education, Confluence has historically kept out of political matters, but this injustice is a nonpartisan issue that has broad support. That is why our board of directors, a majority of whom are members of tribes, unanimously voted to write a letter of support for the Chinook’s recognition efforts.
The Chinook Nation has always had allies in the communities along the Columbia River and we are proud to count ourselves among them. Even with limited resources, they continuously give back. It is long past time for the government to show the Chinook Nation the respect they deserve by reinstating their federal recognition.
