Cascadia today: Seattle mayor all in on cop surveillance + feds give up fighting habeas appeals + Haíɫzaqv First Nation reclaims language & potlach culture

Seattle mayor turns on surveillance despite concerns

Seattle mayor Katie Wilson announced yesterday that the city and the Seattle Police Department will move forward with plans to turn on scores of surveillance cameras in the Capitol Hill, central district and SODO neighborhoods, PubliCola reports. The supposed progressive mayor took the step despite a report commissioned by the city expressing concern that the feds might get their hands on data gathered from the cams, and that the cameras do little to reduce crime. The Stranger has more on Wilson's bad decision, and its lack of guardrails – such as a warrant – to prevent cops or ICE from searching video archives.

And it's not just Seattle cops rushing to embrace tech with few guardrails – Street Roots reports that Portland Police Bureau is adopting all sorts of AI tech even though city rules prohibit it.

Wilson, disingenuously, posted on Bluesky, proudly telling folks the city isn't installing Flock cameras. OK, that's technically true, the cameras are from the cop technology company Axon, which has its own concerns – particularly how it's integrating all its tech into one massive 24-7 spying panopticon. In related news, the Urbanist reports on how SPD lacks real accountability, is rushing to embrace technology with few guardrails, and sucks up the majority of the city's discretionary budget. In a city currently grappling with a budget deficit and a housing affordability crisis, seems like maybe some downsizing is order.

It's sad to see a supposed progressive doubling down on ever more cops and cameras and dodging the real solutions to gun violence.

Overwhelmed feds stop defending habeas appeals in WA

KUOW reports on the success of habeas petitions in Washington preventing the feds from illegally detaining immigrants has forced the overwhelmed US attorneys office for western Washington to stop defending against many appeals and simply let judges rule. That's a victory of sorts for those opposed to the feds' warrantless mass deportation campaign and illustrates that attorneys don't want to work for this corrupt, cruel, and lawless regime. For instance, a federal court found that ICE defied orders to stop warrantless arrests in Oregon, the Seattle Times reports.

Note to Democrats taking power: ICE cannot be reformed and must be abolished.

Forgotten fighters honored

On Veteran's day, Armistice day, or Remembrance day, two articles highlight fighters who weren't welcome in their home countries. CBC profiles a secret unit of Chinese Canadians (many of who lived in Vancouver) who fought in southeast Asia during World War 2 even as their families faced discrimination at home. Meanwhile the South Seattle Emerald reports on Japanese American soldiers from Seattle who fought discrimination and poor treatment in their units and were jailed for speaking up.

Haíɫzaqv reclaim language, potlach culture

The Narwhal has an amazing, detailed feature on how members of the Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) First Nation are reclaiming their language, songs, and rich potlach culture. That tradition, now being reclaimed in the central Big House after being banned for decades by Canadian colonists. The feature is accompanied by gorgeous photos, audio clips, and selections of poetry by Haíɫzaqv members. Highly recommended.

“The name of this Big House is λáλix̌sístala. λáλix̌sístala in our language translates to ‘complete the circle’ — and the circle we’re referring to is the circle of knowledge, because of the amount of knowledge that gets passed on here, from generation to generation.” --Thomas Dixon, Haíɫzaqv First Nation

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