HIST 216 — Pacific Northwest Environmental History
This course will examine the environmental history of the Greater Pacific Northwest; the geographic area defined by the Columbia River watershed, including the coastal areas of present-day Oregon, extending north through the Salish Sea including into Canada. Topics covered will include natural history of the Pacific Northwest, the experience of native indigenous people as past, present, and on-going stewards of the land, the historical dynamic of the PNW as a meeting point of multiple cultures, and how historical cultural, social and economic values influence interaction with the environment as a set of changing relationships over time. It will also ask the class as a community and as individuals to reflect on how we understand and value our environment, how we interact with people and place, and how we engage with the past. This class may include students from multiple sections. (Social Sciences, Elective)