Editorials / Opinion

On Oct. 6, the Seattle City Council unanimously declared the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the City of Seattle, and encouraged other institutions to recognize the Day — reaffirming the city’s commitment to promote the well-being and growth of Seattle’s American Indian and Indigenous community [“Seattle council faces backlash from…

Instead of trying to rewrite a perceived long-ago historical global injustice, perhaps our City Council should focus on present and future Seattle problems for which we elected and pay them, such as inadequate infrastructure, crime, income disparity and rising rents [“Holiday to honor indigenous people? Seattle council to vote,” Local News, Oct. 5]. Changing Columbus Day…

Little has been said about the other people who are directly affected because they consume the fish and shellfish harvested from the state’s waters. Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans (AAPI) account for 10 percent of the state’s population and projections to 2030 predict that percentage will not decrease. This is the only state with AAPI…

The Code of Federal Regulations was written by non-Indians, and they were the ones that made the decision that if tribes did not submit paperwork in 1934 requesting Federal recognition based on their regulations and requirements, they were not federally recognized [“Proposed changes may help tribes get federal recognition,” Local News, June 1]. Just…

Billy Frank Jr., front, examines DNR salmon culverts near Nooksack, Wash., in 2007. Frank, 83, died Monday.(Alan Berner/ The Seattle Times, 2007)

Billy Frank Jr.’s generation of leaders were our transformational leaders [“Billy Frank Jr., Nisqually elder who fought for treaty rights, dies,” The Today File, May 5]. They built the bridges that moved us away from and out of the atrocities of the past to the road to recovery — recovery of our salmon and natural resources, our economies and our people’s mental, physical and emotional health, as well as our sovereignty.

Our Indian leaders and warriors of Billy’s, Joe’s (DelaCruz), Mel’s (Tonasket), Sam’s (Cagey) generation and many others were, and are, our

What wonderful news! [“Snoqualmie Tribe donating $150,000 to Daybreak Star Center,” Local News, Feb. 4] I visited the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in Seattle’s Discovery Park some years ago and was disappointed to see it struggling then. As a center for Native American art and culture, Daybreak Star has been doing its best…

Olympia needs to uphold tribal rights Billy Frank Jr., the chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, has been fighting for his people’s rights for decades. In Monday’s front-page article “Tribes’ win may flow beyond culverts,” a U.S. district judge upheld tribal-fishing rights established under the landmark 1974 Boldt decision, rights Billy Frank Jr. and…

Long history of denial, disruption and devastation The recent article “Duwamish get new shot at recognition,” [NWTuesday, March 26] failed to cover the intense political shenanigans that led to their denial of recognition in the first place. The Department of Interior official who approved their recognition, after years of analysis, has disputed the allegation that…

Original art should be preserved The pictures of the magnificent murals created by artist Andrew Morrison were beautiful [“Beloved murals may disappear,” page one, Feb. 25]. The title of the article should have been “Beloved murals about to be demolished,” because that is the real story. Seattle Public Schools has been indifferent, disengaged and dismissive of…

Support the inclusion of Native women I hope people will all notify their representatives to support the entire Violence Against Women Act [“Law would let tribes prosecute non-Indians’ domestic violence,” page one, Feb. 20]. Trying to remove a paragraph that helps protect women on reservations is criminal. Criminals are not returned to their countries of origin…