Cultural Preservation

On March 25^th the Methow Valley Interpretive Center will host “Drawing with Vision, Harold J. Cundy’s Recordings of Rock Images on the Columbia Plateau 1927-1936” with historian William Layman and guests Randy Lewis and Arnold Cleveland. The presentation and discussion will show documented rock art found throughout the region.

Hank Adams, Randy Lewis, and Vine DeLoria

I had recently discovered the book, “Custer Died for Your Sins” by Vine Deloria. Randy sent me a photo of himself with the author, Vine, and activist Hank Adams at the March 1968 Right to be Indian conference at Western Washington University in Bellingham. A chapter of Vine’s book, entitled, “Anthropologists and Other Friends”, had been printed in Playboy magazine the month before, raising awareness of American Indians in contemporary society. The book hit the New York Times best seller list a month later.

Randy sent me two other photos, of recent letters from school children notifying him of plans to replicate his likeness in a downtown Seattle mural. They read, “We learned about activists and change at school and learned about how you helped in the Ft. Lawton takeover in the 1970s. We wanted to honor you by painting your portrait on a mural that will be installed at a bus shelter at Yesler Way and 29^th street in the central district. Thank you for helping our community.”

In 1970, Fort Lawton was declared a ‘surplus’ military base and became available for use as public land. The United Indians of All Tribes, UIAT, wished to reclaim the historical grounds for use as a cultural and social service center for American Indians. The state and city rejected the proposal. On March 8, 1970, a hundred people scaled the cliffs of Fort Lawton and staged a sit-in. The demonstration, led by Bernie Whitebear of the Colville Reservation, lasted for three weeks and made national news. The peaceful protest raised awareness of challenges faced by American Indians including poverty, education, and unemployment. The city negotiated with UIAT and set aside twenty-acres for the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, located in the heart of Discovery Park. Fort Lawton military grounds became Discovery Park, Seattle’s largest park along the shores of Puget Sound. The park stretches over 500 acres, with nearly 12 miles of languid trails traversing forest, shoreline, grasslands, and landscaped gardens.

An interview with Randy talking about the protest can be viewed online here: http://q13fox.com/2018/04/05/when-native-americans-invaded-fort-lawton/

Randy, like so many others in his generation, worked tirelessly to raise awareness about every facet of human rights. Young people today are tackling issues on the national front yet again and taking to the streets this month to raise awareness about the simple human right of receiving an education uninterrupted by domestic terrorism. The future belongs to our youth, they deserve our support and efforts to find a solution.

Randy Lewis, circa 1977, at the Methow headwaters in traditional Methow regalia

This original article appeared in the Methow Valley News, 14 March 2018