Transportation Corridors as Vehicles for Cultural and Ecological Regeneration - Restorative Redevelopment of Devastated Ecocultural Landscapes - page 337

FIGURE 17.3 Wildlife connectivity across the U.S. 93 corridor.

the seasonal growth of plants and wildlife movement from the valley bottom in the
winter to the mountains in the summer. Dependent on the landscape, the Native
Amerindians cultivated a direct, intimate relationship with the natural environment,
which met their physical, cultural, and spiritual needs (Figure 17.5).
The connection between tribal culture and the landscape continues today, although
the tools have changed in response to evolving technologies. In this regard, the key
concept to keep in mind is that tribal life and ties to the land are not romantic remem-
brances to the past. As a Washone leader observed: “We are here to stay because
we have never left.” Therefore, highway-related wildlife deaths represent not just a
biological loss, but also a cultural loss. Traditionally animals, birds, fish, and plants
provided food, medicine, clothing, and other forms of sustenance, and were the basis
of daily lives in stories, songs, and spiritual beliefs. These cultural practices and
spiritual connections still prevail today. Oral tradition and artwork promote the role
of animals as kinfolk. As one Salish elder stated: “To us, wildlife are not just ani-
mals. The game is our medicine, our clothes, our food. Wildlife are sacred” (Figures
17.6, 17.7, and 17.8).