excerpts from the forthcoming guidebook ...

Klahowya! So you want to get to know your region better eh? As is common with the Cascadian, you’re in need of suggestions for sustainable services and necessities during your exploration of the region. No problem, that’s the point of the guide you now hold. Looking for assistance in your reassessment of the geography, culture and economy of Cascadia? Well, just read on friend, as this is an intended introduction to the reinhabitation of the Cascadian region. You’ll find here many “nuts and bolts” of the regional movement to embrace the philosophies of bioregionalism, permaculture, and ecosophy. From those on the brink of ecological enlightenment to those fully immersed in the language of the land, this is a guide meant to encourage and assist a more intentional, ecological culture in our region of Cascadia.

Hereabouts I give a little disclaimer of sorts, to make a few things clear before one ventures further into the story yet to come. The word “Cascadian”, as you will come to see, is rather generously applied to the text and resulting stories. However this may appear, “Cascadian” is not meant to give voice to any one particular individual, whether it be human or otherwise. One of the strengths of this guide is its’ regard for diversity as an asset to the region. All things “Cascadian” are rather diverse and have no one voice except that they are of the Cascadia region. Therefore to speak here as a Cascadian, is to speak for oneself and no one or nothing else.

That said, general observations in the region will lead one to discern a logical culture hidden within. This is not your stylish trendsetter, nor your self-proclaimed authority on subjects ecological, environmental, social, or spiritual. Rather, this is an individual caught up in something greater then oneself and it manifests in the way this regional inhabitant walks his, her, or its’ path. It can be heard in how the person speaks - not in dialect or slang, but in intention and awareness. It can be seen in how the Cedars shape their branches, or the Salmon choose their breeding sites. Those looking to the sky feel its’ influence in the sudden bursts of sun through waterlogged clouds. Shelter, food choice, migrational patterns, romantic endeavors, habitat choice, play, and work all reflect the influence of place in the lives of Cascadians.

So if it takes one to know one, why write a guide for those already abreast? In contemplating this question, one answer repeatedly makes itself apparent. Though the user of this guide may be a versed Cascadian and knowledgeable of their place, there forever exists the need to participate in the region’s evolution as a living entity. This requires the Cascadian, yearns at their very essence to come out into the region to explore, to take part in a new mode of living that echoes the life-force of the region. The moving about in this exploration puts one in positions of unfamiliarity. However connected to place and aware of its needs one might be at home, as they move farther afield they consequently loose sense of the needs of place. This leaves them at the mercy of the dominant culture and advertising schemes of a local that more often than not do little in promoting the best practices for all concerned.

As we already know, the few exemplary subsistence options available to us in our travels can often be quite difficult to locate. Sometimes they do such a wonderful job of blending in and integrating with the surroundings that they can go quite unnoticed even when under our noses. And how about those things in which the Cascadian explorer seeks to know about a place which other’s normally think interesting to only the locals involved? Can a watershed council really be that interesting to someone not of the watershed? Well, if it means a better understanding of the natural systems in which we find ourselves, of course! And those little pet projects that at first appear almost natural in their design, but to which more scrutiny reveal human-initiated sustainable undertakings? Yes! We’d love to see those too, as they are the perfect example of how others of our brethren are relocating themselves into the region as stewards of place, not merely exploiters of opportunity. These are the focus of this guide’s practicality, and collectively establish a bigger picture of a regional movement towards sustainability.

It was not so long ago that the people of this region listened to the land as intuitively as we should now. It cannot be realistically assumed that they did so because they wanted to be “green”, or because they believed in “sustainability” as a personal mantra. Quite contrarily, many of the peoples here, like peoples the world over for thousands of years, lived in hierarchies with slaves and warred with others of the region. Some were materialistic and some downright brutal and violent. Humanity is humanity it seems and will cycle through the same sorts of problems and practices endemic to anyone or anything using instinct as mode for survival. Nonetheless, the people of this region did leave a legacy to be honored, cherished and emulated. That being the region as the first Europeans found it not much more than 200 years ago. It had been stated more than once that the land was “untouched”, a perfection of nature then believed open for settlement by the coming masses. But behold! The land was not “untouched”, but quite contrarily touched and retouched for thousands of years by the human inhabitants who had evolved there. Yes it was their legacy to have presented to the “moderns” an example of an enduring relationship to place so pristine that visitors thought the land new. It should be our duty then as inheritors of the region, along side the descendants of the original stewards, to make our place in this region one which gives visitors the impression again of a land “untouched”.

Many folks are on their way to realizing this vision, if only in small ways. Hands-on endeavors are transforming how they achieve their needed resources, how they build their dwellings, and how they design their common spaces. When communing with God, they find their inspiration not in outdated, irrelevant texts, but in the essence of life and place around them. They turn to the natural rhythms and cycles of the universe to celebrate. Their communities provide a support network that is responsive to every member within. They organize with the ecological systems of their places, rather then imposing their design upon the already established. Their decision making process includes voices from not only all humans, but from all that will be affected by the decisions. Their economies are small in scale and transparent, allowing for complete oversight and a healthy, functioning system responsive to the needs of the community.

It is here in the economy that this guide comes to shine as a useful tool. As a guide to select examples of the aforementioned story this book will suffice, but as a practicality it is indispensable when deciding how to exercise ones buying or bartering power. Perhaps most vital in changing the way things work in our region, the dominant economy at present allows for little influence of place or community. It is a monster of undeniable reach, capable of destroying even the most well intentioned local endeavor. That is why we must tread ‘round this beast cautiously, and why tools such as this guide provide valuable links in the networks of Cascadia. “Vote with your dollar” goes the mantra, though with enough effort we might one day concern ourselves with the dollar no more.

What about those of us without dollars you ask? Not to be favorable to the financially fortunate, this guide is meant to give practical options to those with a range of fiscal capabilities. As some with the money will be want to spend, there are many options, though usually not lavish, of places to get the money back out into the local economies and to people doing good things. For those of us without a lot of cash to spend, herein one can find many examples of communities providing well-intentioned public services to the low income and homeless, even a few options for barter and trade. We must recognize that it is the people who go without that we owe a debt of gratitude for not being the destructive consumer so common to our region now. Not to downplay the potential of the income earner though, as he or she will sow the seeds of the new local economies that can help break us free of our servitude to an abstract system. For each, regardless of monetary wealth, there exists a wealth of information about the region of Cascadia and ways for all to take part in the reinhabitation of places within.

By now, some of you will undoubtedly be asking yourselves “exactly what is meant by this ‘reinhabitation’?” Simply put, it means the undertaking of a new way of life within a home place. This can vary, and should vary from place to place, the point being that one allow the place itself to inspire and direct one’s actions within it. This works on many different levels, obviously beginning with oneself and the actions taken by each. As we move outward in concentric circles, the levels begin to include others and at first that typically means human, but expands to include diverse life forms and natural elements. Beyond the individual is the circle of family and friends. Beyond this is the village, many times meaning the “urban village” within the larger urban context of a city or what is referred to in this guide as a “population center”. Throughout the varying levels of self and community, we see a growing influence of natural ecosystems. Personal endeavors mirror immediate needs of natural elements that we interact with. Communities at the village level seek to integrate the existing or regaining natural systems within them into planning, building, and economic endeavors. Beyond the scope of community the human no longer dominates the scene and allows natural systems to dictate organization. Water drainages play a huge role in this and throughout the guide the user will be directed towards the various groups responsive to the watershed influence in planning and organization.

As is true in all aspects of life, very little is black and white in the path to sustainable lifestyles. Case in point: what is “sustainability”? Many describe this term as it applies to human endeavors – doing things in a way that will allow them to continue to be done indefinitely. This is a quantitative approach to the concept and though with value, not the exact intention of this guide’s philosophy. As described before, humans existed in the region for thousands of years and did little to alter the integrity of the region’s natural cycles. This is a qualitative approach to sustainability and cannot be tallied abstractly on paper or computer. It is a lived expression of oneness with the living organism that is our planet earth. As our personal and collective pursuits begin to align with the natural flow of our places, we will begin to reach sustainability at a qualitative level.

To do this requires our collective cooperation as we reorganize our systems to more accurately mirror what we see and feel happening around us in the natural world. Again we run into trouble as each of our personal observations of place are unique to the individual. So how do we find middle ground? How do we collectively decipher the “language of the land” to know what approach works best for all involved? In the compilation of this guide, numerous times this issue has appeared and reappeared as a fundamental hurdle that must be cleared on our collective path towards sustainability. Figuring out the subtleties in natural systems, especially since so much has been done recently to alter these systems, is a demanding a daunting undertaking. Even in our own communities we struggle to decide what is best for all concerned and what defines us as a collective group. But with challenge comes opportunity, and we can use this discussion and debate to begin adding in the influence of our surroundings. If only we can listen, we will hear the answers to many of our questions written in the requisitions of our places. This guide is meant to act as a tool to that end, a starting point for entering into the necessary relationships with our places in this region.

As with any tool or guide, there are missing elements that cannot be found within this one. Some are logical, such as those things considered “green-washed” - that appeal to our attempts at reinhabitation and sustainability, but which ultimately seek only to exploit a marketing niche. This guide attempts to weed these out of the many options within our region, and to establish standards by which services may be included in the guide. There are no hard and fast rules, and there has been efforts made to recognize the varying viewpoints throughout the region of acceptable local practices. Another intended goal of this guide is to encourage the discussion within communities of acceptable practices for services. This will hopefully lead to a refinement of the options available to the regional inhabitant and perhaps encourage the formation of such services where they are lacking. Many options though will be omitted for the obvious reason of their being unknown to the producers of this guide. When recognized by the reader, we encourage unlisted but deserving services and organizations to be relayed to the production staff, and a method for doing this can be found in the front of the guide. Regardless, this is only a step in the direction of which we head. It is ultimately the responsibility of the explorer to open oneself to the local culture, to take part in what is happening there, and to leave only the encouragement of that local cultures attempts at ecological reinhabitation.

And as we go, we go lightly upon the earth. We take steps that fall where we direct them because we are conscious in their placement. Our steps have the consequence we intend because we are aware of the options of footholds and paths. Our awareness stems from an understanding - that which is derived from our experiences with the ecological community. Knowing our place in that community is as intrinsic to our ability to help maintain its vitality as for our own attempts at survival itself. Here we reach the point of common sense. We decide that it is not in our best interest, nor the interest of others with whom we share this earth to continue to ignore the signs of our destructive path. How do we avoid this destructive path? We listen to the land. We craft our everyday endeavors to assist us in hearing the land and its many functions. How do we do that? We become conscious of every action we take to assure its relevance to that which we have been listening to so closely. This includes our travels and explorations, for it is then that we become most attentive to our surroundings. In the comfort of our own homes we sometimes become so tuned in to the frequency of our everyday life that we miss the subtleties of the bigger picture. But as we move into uncharted territory, our senses awaken to the new, and we view our path with scrutiny once again. This can be directed towards the more superficial, such as a quest for satiation. Or it can be to broaden our horizons of home and to understand our place in this universe just a little bit better, one step at a time.

Reinhabiting

A vision of communities within communities within communities … beginning at the heart, expanding out to the farthest reaches of our universe ….
Creating small self-sustaining communities out of the already populated parts of our region is a major goal of this project. For those of us who look to community for a practical tool to realize change, will not find that moving “to the hills” to create these communities is still an option. We must work with what we have, and by doing so we will hopefully draw our neighbors and friends into the mix, thereby utilizing their energy to “reinhabit” our life places. The first step to reinhabiting is to begin to change our views of the places we inhabit, to ground our ideas of place in that which is inherent in the natural systems around us, to become once again a part of the systems of which we must foster instead of exploit if we are to ever see harmony in our lives.
The next step is to begin to fulfill our needs in a sustainable manner. Humans have needs like all of the rest of the natural world, and we are therefore subject to the same cycles of consuming. But we can be aware in this process, and we can consume in a way that is not exploitive, but that creates as much or more “calorie output” as that which we need to survive. This includes all of our necessities - food, water, shelter, medicine, companionship … and all of the systems that foster these - farming, economy, resource extraction, health care, entertainment, etc, etc ….