Unsettling Ecologies: Colonial Forestry vs. Tribal Sovereignty on the Olympic Peninsula

Unsettling Ecologies: Colonial Forestry vs. Tribal Sovereignty on the Olympic Peninsula is a 40-page zine published in 2025 by Severed Branches Press.

It serves as a reportback from an eight-week Olympic Forest Ecology field course held in late winter–early spring 2025 on Squaxin, Twana, Chimacum, and Klallam lands in Washington’s South Salish Sea region. Written by two non-native collaborators, the zine examines the impacts of colonial clear-cut logging, contrasts it with Indigenous tribal stewardship and sovereignty, and highlights local landback efforts—particularly a Chimacum project led by Naoime Dawn Krienke.

Featuring teachings from Indigenous leaders and on-the-ground observations, it aims to support decolonial solidarity, forest defense, and a deeper understanding of Pacific Northwest history beyond mainstream environmentalism. Proceeds from the first edition benefit the Chimacum landback initiative.