Cascadia (independence Movement) - References in Popular Culture

References in Popular Culture

• The Doug Flag appears to be the most commonly adopted flag of the Cascadian movement. Designed by Portland, Oregon native Alexander Baretich in 1994, its blue represents sky and the Pacific Ocean, the white represents clouds and snow, and the green represents the forest. As of 2010 the "Doug" has also been adopted by the Portland Timbers Timbers Army, sometimes of giant size. In 2010, Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland introduced Secession Black IPA with the Doug flag as part of its label. Hopworks has since dropped the "Black India Pale Ale" idiom in favor of the more etymologically correct moniker Secession Cascadian Dark Ale.

• The PBS Public Matters situates their questioning in the 'hypothetical state of Cascadia'.

• The documentary Occupied Cascadia is focused on bioregionalism and environmentalism, and explores concepts of decolonization, as well as the growth of the Cascadia independence movement.

• The 2005 North American Science Fiction Convention (or NASFiC), Cascadia Con, presented itself as a Cascadian convention, using material from The Republic of Cascadia website, and other sources.

• The Fish Brewing Company of Olympia, Washington, puts "Brewed in the Republic of Cascadia" on its organic ales. The Phillips Brewing Company of Victoria, British Columbia, puts "Proudly Cascadian" along with the Doug flag on its products, and its 2012 'Rifflandabrau' pilsner label consists of a Doug flag in a clearly patriotic fashion.

• In January 2011, TIME magazine included Cascadia on a list of "Top 10 Aspiring Nations", though noting it "has little chance of ever becoming a reality".

• Bellingham, Washington-based newspaper The Cascadia Weekly reports "From the Heart of Cascadia" and circulates in print throughout Whatcom and Skagit Counties.

• A 2012 book by Marcus Ruiz Evans entitled California's Next Century details an overhauling of California's statehood via a plan to embrace its unique global role and form itself as an independent republic, uniquely poised to become the Switzerland of the 21st century, a global nerve center of international diplomacy, technology and finance.