This course explores the environmental, ecological, and cultural ties of this region along the west coast of North America between today’s southern Alaska and northern California. Students will investigate how this unique physical geography has shaped human societies and how people in turn continually reshape these landscapes and waterscapes. This course begins with examining how natural processes such as glaciers, plate tectonics, and volcanic activity created the circumstances for the region’s Indigenous Peoples, who for thousands of years maintained deep connections across this expanse. Then, we will shift toward the rapid Euro-American colonization of the region, focusing on issues including Indigenous/settler relations, the creation and implications of political borders, industrial and urban development, and the impacts of global climate change.
Primary tabs
Cascadia: Environment and History of the Pacific Northwest
Quarters
Winter Open
Location
Native Pathways - Olympia
Time Offered
Day
Class Standing
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Credits
4
Academic Year
2023 – 2024
Taught By:
Winter Registration:
Course Reference Numbers
(4): 20196
Credits:
4
Maximum Enrollment:
25
Class Standing:
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Quarters:
Winter
2024
Open
In Person or Remote:
Time Offered:
Day
Schedule Evergreen:
First Meeting:
Remote/Online
Location:
Native Pathways - Olympia