Before European settlement, the area where we live was roughly within the territory of the Lummi people. Our little bay wasn’t a place of a settlement of indigenous people, but it was a place that was visited regularly to harvest shellfish from the shallow waters of the bay. The lives of the natives in this part of the country were quite a bit different from those of the plains tribes we came to know during our years in South Dakota, as was the process of settlement unique in this region. We still have a lot to learn about the traditional people who have occupied this part of the world since time immemorial.

Northwest tribes developed ocean-going canoes in many different sizes, from small craft for one or two people to boats as large as 60 feet in length paddled by 10 or more paddlers. Traditional boats were formed from a single log, typically red cedar, but sometimes Sitka spruce. As the boats were carved from the log, the wood was steamed and spread to make an elegant shape that could carve through ocean waves.

The boats allowed people to travel across the Salish sea to visit friends and neighbors who lived on the various islands. On a clear day we can see the mountains of Vancouver Island to the west from our bay. Indigenous people were able to paddle their canoes back and forth across the Strait of Georgia. There were significant communities of people living on many of the Islands in the Strait. On the northeast edge of the Island the We Wai Kai Nation was located near what is now the town of Campbell River. They had communities on Quadra Island as well as Vancouver Island. These days there are about 1,200 members of the WE Wai Kai Nation. Like many indigenous nations, tribal members struggle with high unemployment rates, low access to health care, and a wide variety of other social issues.

On Monday there was a special ceremony in the We Wai Nation. Dressed in traditional regalia, women from the nation performed the Tłalkwała or Ladies Dance, while other members huddled for the K'amk'amxwaliła, or Eagle Down Blessing Ceremony. There was traditional drumming and singing as well as the more modern phenomenon of a ground-breaking ceremony with tribal and local governmental officials joining with members of a private corporation in turning spadefuls of dirt in an open lot.

The ceremonies were held to bless the construction of a new building that will house a Starbucks cafe. It isn’t something that has been seen very much in the past. The business is a new partnership between Starbucks of Canada and the We Wai Kai Nation that is aimed at providing jobs in the Nation, helping the tribe to become more self reliant. One assumes that the venture will also generate income for Starbucks corporation. Unlike other fast food businesses, Starbucks does not enter into franchising agreements, but rather licenses businesses. The licensing process gives the company more control over their stores and allows the chain to maintain a world-wide consistency of the products sold under their name.

Meanwhile, across the Strait and a bit south of our town, in Bellingham, Starbucks restaurants have been facing strikes, picketing, and other actions by employees who are organizing unions and demanding better treatment of workers. On Wednesday dozens of Starbucks retail workers from the region gathered outside of Starbucks’ corporate headquarters for a rally in advance of yesterday’s shareholders meeting. Starbucks employees, who are referred to by the corporation as “partners,” complain about a recent shift in corporate culture that has, among other things seen the hours of employees cut, forcing many to take second jobs to support their families. When employee hours drop below a certain threshold, that employee is no longer eligible for benefits. Employees argue that the corporation is cutting employment hours specifically to avoid paying the promised benefits.

And, back across the Strait, on the We Wai Nation, there is a an expectation that the new Starbucks, owned by the Nation and licensed to operate by Starbucks will provide the jobs with benefits that are needed to boost the economy of the community. At least some of the Starbucks employees in our community are wondering whether or not those promised benefits will ever be given to those hopeful of the jobs at the new cafe.

There are many challenges in the meeting of corporate and tribal cultures. Many businesses are designed expressly to draw profits from local communities to benefit corporate shareholders. Corporate executives argue that both local communities and the corporation benefit from partnerships that stimulate the local economy while benefitting corporate shareholders. On the We Wai Nation, the hope is that the new store will benefit from tourists from outside the community spending their money for signature drinks, thus spending more money on their visits. That excess money will be shared between the tribe and the corporation. it remains to be seen, however, whether the money destined to benefit the corporation and tribe will really come from outside sources or whether the primary customers of the cafe will be local people and the net result of the partnership will be the extraction of wealth from the community instead of the addition of beneficial employment.

There is always a balance in programs designed for economic improvement of communities. We struggled with that balance during the years I lived in South Dakota and was active in our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Not every attempt at providing indigenous home ownership succeeded. Banking rules required that Habitat for Humanity Mortgages be consistent, meaning that private ownership of the land beneath the house was required for the mortgage to be issued. The interest-free loans were subject to the same rules as bank loans. This meant that land that once had been communally owned passed into individual ownership and in some cases was sold and the net result was that the tribe lost control of traditional land.

We won’t get to Campbell River very often. Going there requires a border crossing and a ferry ride to the Island. However, when we do, I’ll try to spend a few dollars at the We Wai Nation Starbucks. I’m hoping that the project succeeds for the people of the community.