The Search for Regional Identity

For more than 150 years, Pacific Northwest writers have sought out the region's shared stories and traditions in an attempt to explain the common features of its places and people. A key element in the study of place and region is the relationship between human experience and the natural world. This newest volume in the acclaimed Culture and Environment in the Pacific West series offers a compelling blend of ideas and perspectives on region identity in the Pacific Northwest.

In The Great Northwest, historian William G. Robbins gathers writings that explore the idea and reality of the Pacific Northwest from a surprising variety of viewpoints. Descriptions of and stories about such distinct places as Celilo Falls on the Columbia river, Alaska, interior British Columbia, and the reforested Tillamook Burn in Oregon show why the search for regional identity is a complex but ultimately rewarding endeavor. "The business of understanding the Pacific Northwest is messy but important," writes series editor William Lang. "Knowing what we think about our place and our region offers opportunities to understand ourselves our communities, and our relationships to the larger world."