Cascadia (independence Movement) - Secessionist Activism

Secessionist Activism

Cascadian secessionist movements generally state that their political motivations deal mostly with political, economic, cultural and ecological ties, as well as the beliefs that the eastern federal governments are out of touch, slow to respond, and hinder state and provincial attempts at further bioregional integration. These connections go back to the Oregon Territory, and further back to the Oregon Country, the land most commonly associated with Cascadia, and the last time the region was treated as a single political unit, though administered by two countries. Some have asserted that political protest in the wake of the 2004 presidential election appears to be the primary reason for renewed separatist movements throughout states with substantial Democratic majorities, such as Washington and Oregon.

On 9 September 2001, the Cascadian National Party website was launched on Angelfire, with the goal of launching a political party dedicated to the independence of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, but faltered quickly.

One of the few active groups currently calling for independence is the Cascadian Independence Project. Active since 2006, the majority of organizing is done through online platforms such as Facebook, reddit, and twitter, embracing a non-traditional, non-hierarchical, horizontal organizing model, the organization now has 2,200 members on Myspace, 4,100 readers on the Cascadia Subreddit, 2,000 on Facebook, 900 on twitter, with dozens of members actively working within chapters in more than 16 cities throughout the Northwest, including Vancouver BC, Victoria, Bellingham, Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Walla Walla, Spokane, Olympia, Portland, Eugene, and Salem. The organization also has been featured in the New York Times, Seattle Times, Crosscut Magazine, The Oregonian, The Portland Monthly and Time Magazine.

Other groups discussing the Cascadia concept, such as the Sightline Institute, Crosscut.com, and Cascadia Prospectus, see the concept as one of a transnational cooperative identity, not secession. Still others, such as The Republic of Cascadia, are whimsical expressions of political protest.