Reading graffiti is a great way to sense the pulse of a community, especially the voices that don’t feel heard. Check out this urban mural with the words “Salish Land” added in prominent spray paint.
This statement is found just off Capitol Boulevard in downtown Olympia, near the Washington state capitol campus. Admittedly I am missing a lot here, because I don’t understand the meaning of the underlying mural. But how can I ignore the message of the words that I do understand? “Salish Land.” The land conflicts of the 1800s, which many Euro-Americans have tried to consign to history, are alive and well in our midst.
Michelle Garred 