Family, by Greg A. Robinson, a member of the Chinook Indian Nation in Washington and a primarily self-taught artist who works in a variety of mediums. His traditional Chinookan-style images pay tribute to the Columbia River ancestors for whom art, life, stories and culture are strongly interrelated.
Illustration by Greg A. Robinson
That arresting image on our cover
Family, by Chinook Nation tribal member and artist Greg A. Robinson is an apt illustration for our story about the Chinook Nation’s century-long battle for federal recognition. Anna V. Smith, assistant editor on our Indigenous Affairs desk, delves into a saga that has lasted for generations, during which elders have passed on and children grown up. Without their sovereignty, the Chinook still work to preserve their distinctive culture in the Pacific Northwest. But living without the safety net, health care, education or land held by the 574 recognized tribes isn’t easy. It is, said one, a form of “slow-moti