This month is Native American Heritage month and at Shank Marketing, we want to highlight the incredible work so many of the Tribes we work with are doing to help restore natural habitats, encourage economic growth in Native communities, and replenish the environment of its natural resources. Many of our clients are committed to giving back to their communities in so many ways and throughout the month we want to express our gratitude and appreciation for their continued efforts since time immemorial.

We are so fortunate to work with clients throughout the Pacific Northwest, where many of our Shank Marketing team also reside. Washington state is well known for its beautiful and bountiful trees, once thriving river and ocean systems, and the constant rain that attributes to our illustrious landscapes. However, the land has changed enormously and due to human development and neglect has wreaked havoc on once thriving ecosystems and wildlife. One of these resources are the salmon that were once plentiful throughout the Western Washington river ecosystems. According to the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, “the tribes in Western Washington participate in the annual Pacific Salmon Commission meetings to promote their harvest opportunity, but their primary focus is conservation of depressed chinook and coho stock”(www.nwific.org). We are so proud to work closely with several Washington state tribes; Tulalip, Lower Elwha Klallam, Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Suquamish, Swinomish, all of which are Coast Salish tribes, or tribes that are a part of the Salish Sea basin that is rich in heritage between rivers and the ocean. We are so appreciative of the heroic efforts of those that came before us to affect change, and express our gratitude for the continued efforts of Washington State Tribes to return the land to its more natural condition.