Cascadia today: What real reconciliation means + popular waterfall in OR protected + fund Seattle arts, not more cops

Good morning! It's definitely feeling like autumn – the air is crisp and cool, the leaves are rusty and golden, and it's time to turn on the heat, make some tea and grab a book. Are you a fan of poetry? If you're in Seattle, join Cascadia Democratic Action and the Cascadia Poetics Lab for the next chapter of Subduction, a spoken word performance series rooted in Cascadia.

We'll be at Vermillion art gallery and bar on Capitol Hill in Seattle, 7 pm Wed. Oct 7 at 1508 11th Ave. It's a lively, meaningful event, and for this edition, we'll have readings by Laura Da’, Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs, Mateo Quispe, and Zach Charles. We’ll have an open mic after the featured poets, and we’ll be raising money for La Resistencia’s mutual aid fund, which provides direct assistance to individuals who have been detained by ICE and their families. Hope to see you there!

What next for reconciliation?

Today is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada – also known as Orange Shirt Day – which calls on us to remember the painful history of the residential school system, which caused generations of trauma for Indigenous people across North America. At the Tyee Simoo’gyet Malii, (Glen Williams), a hereditary chief with the Gitanyow in northern British Columbia writes that the day is an opportunity to acknowledge painful truths about our shared history, and to resolve issues of land and title. That means returning true sovereignty to Indigenous nations over their land. At CBC, there's a profile of Phyllis Webstad, Northern Secwépemc, whose experience of having an orange shirt taken from her as a six-year-old student in a residential school sparked a nationwide movement.

Legislative race pits progressives against each other

KUOW reports on a legislative race in Washington's 43rd district, in which Senate majority leader Jamie Pedersen is facing a challenge from a young progressive, Hannah Sabio-Howell. Both support progressive taxation, but Sabio-Howell feels the state could do more than just the millionaires' tax. Vote for Sabio-Howell.

In other political news, a Republican legislator in Walla, Walla, Skyler Rude, will resign three day before the November election, a tactical move to try to help the GOP hold on to the few seats they hold in the Washington legislature. Meanwhile, in Oregon, the governor's race between Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan is essentially tied, OPB reports. Vote for Kotek.

WA to join carbon market with California & Quebec

Columbia Insight reports that Washington is on a path to join California and Quebec in a shared cap and trade carbon market, which helps create incentives for each jurisdiction to phase out energy generated from fossil fuels. Washington's climate plan calls for a 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The new market uses offsets to fund clean energy projects, with credits available for emissions producers diminishing over time.

Abiqua Falls in OR one step closer to protection

Abiqua Falls, a dramatic 92-foot waterfall in Oregon on private land, moved one step closer toward being made into a public park, Oregon Capital Chronicle reports. A $2.1 million purchase of the property and surrounding areas has been approved, and work is finalizing on creating a new state park. That's great news, though Oregon state parks faces a 14% budget gap and legislators will need to address this in the coming session.

Why not fund Seattle arts like it did during the World Cup?

The Stranger reports on a movement by local Seattle artists to pressure the mayor and city council to step up funding for the arts – pointing out that the boost that happened during the FIFA World Cup in the city this summer made Seattle a more pleasant, fun – and safe – city. The coalition takes issue with the massive amounts the city spends on cops and "public safety" and calls for $8 million in SPD funding to be diverted to community public arts projects. Great idea.

Thanks for reading. Keep loving and keep fighting. --Andy