The Elwha River Watershed is a living, breathing web of interconnection—home to salmon, orcas, towering trees, and the stories of the Lower Elwha Klallam people. For generations, these lands and waters have sustained life, and in return, they have been cared for as kin. But today, 850 acres of mature, structurally complex forests in the watershed are at risk of being auctioned for logging, despite decades of restoration efforts.
In this conversation, we will explore the urgent movement to protect the Elwha’s legacy forests, guided by those who stand on the leading edge of this movement for protection and stewardship. Tashena Francis (Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Citizen) and Freddie Lane (Lummi Nation Elder) have been organizing their communities to defend the watershed, upholding their sacred responsibility to protect the land. They are collaborating with Elizabeth Dunne (Elwha Watershed Resident), co-founder of the grassroots Elwha Legacy Forests Coalition (of which Tashena and Freddie are also a part). Elizabeth, who leads Earth Law Center's Cascadia Bioregion Program, is working to establish legal protections rooted in the Rights of Nature and principles of respect and reciprocity.
Together, we will discuss:
🌿 Forests as relatives, elders, and teachers
🔥 Community organizing as an act of resistance and protection
⚖️ The Rights of Nature and how law can align with Indigenous knowledge
🌳 Working together as Indigenous and non-Indigenous allies for the places we love
🛡️ What we can do, collectively, to ensure these forests remain standing
This is a call to listen, witness, and act. The Elwha’s forests are not lost yet—but they need all of us.
To learn more and sign the Protect the Elwha petition,
visit the Earth Law Center.
Tashena Francis is a Lower Elwha Klallam tribal citizen and member of the Elwha Legacy Forest Coalition. She was born and raised on the Lower Elwha Klallam reservation and advocates for preserving the Elwha watershed. Francis believes that saving our forest for future generations is pivotal to addressing our global climate crisis.
Freddie Lane is a citizen of the Lummi Nation and a long-time community leader, artist, and advocate for Indigenous rights and environmental protection. He has served on the Lummi Nation Council and continues to speak on behalf of the Lummi General Council, working to protect, preserve, and promote Schelangen—the Lummi way of life. Through his communications work and his business, Sul ka dub Strategies, Freddie supports treaty protection efforts and environmental justice campaigns across Indian Country.
A skilled organizer and storyteller, Freddie has played key roles in major cultural and advocacy events, including the Paddle to Lummi Canoe Journey, the Red Road to DC Totem Pole Journey, and decades of Native Vote campaigns. His deep roots in community and creative media continue to uplift Indigenous voices and protect the sacred—work that aligns powerfully with efforts to defend the Elwha River Watershed.
Elizabeth Dunne, Esq. is a Movement Lawyer, voice for Nature, and founder of the Earth Law Center's Cascadia Bioregion Program. She has 20 years experience innovating in the legal sphere. She advanced many of the groundbreaking Rights of Nature laws in the US, served as counsel and advisor on the first court cases filed on behalf of ecosystems, and co-authored the US Chapter of the first Earth Law textbook. Much of her current work aims to uproot colonial paradigms that commodify our last remaining old-growth and mature forests. Her forest advocacy is featured in the award-winning short film Last Stand: Saving the Elwha River’s Legacy Forests for which she also served as Creative Producer.
Conversation Series Schedule
Connecting with the Essence of the Forest, March 11th
Featuring Kate Gilday, Clinical Herbalist and Flower Essence Practitioner
➡️Replay
Forest as Community: The Ecology of Relationships, March 18
Featuring Luke Cannon, Ethnobotanist, Naturalist and Teacher
➡️Replay
Forest Folklore, April 1st
Featuring Katherine Parker, Forest Farmer, Storyteller and Guide
➡️Webinar
Cultural Fire, April 8th
Featuring Elizabeth Azzuz, Cultural Fire Practitioner
➡️Webinar
Defending the Elwha’s Legacy Forests, April 29th
Featuring Tashena Francis- Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Citizen, Freddie Lane-Lummi Nation Elder, and Elizabeth Dunne- Earth Law Center
➡️Webinar page coming soon
Our Green Heart: The Soul and Science of Forests, May 6th
Featuring Diana Beresford-Kroger, Botanist, Biochemist, Biologist and Poet of the Global Forest
➡️Webinar
Trees, Ethics, and Planetary Wellbeing, May 20th
Featuring Suzi Steer, Ecological Ethicist, Earth Systems Connector and Citizen-Led Reforestation Champion
➡️Webinar
