Csillag Seminar Series

Perspectives on Reconciliation: Renewal of Individual Settler/Indigenous Relationships on the Lower Columbia

Dr. Chance Finegan

This paper highlights the strong Chinook Indian Nation/National Park Service relationship at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park and Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. I integrate settler-colonial studies with park management, using stories told to me by park staff and Chinook Elders. While meaningful engagement between individual parks and Indigenous communities does not challenge the broad continuities of settler-colonialism, studying the individuals operating within larger systems can be instructive. These two cases, where the settler/Indigenous relationship is transitioning from conflict to a positive model for others to emulate, highlight how to renew park/Indigenous relationships at a micro-level.