But the Legislature can provide concrete support for the quest to limit the damage done by the announced closure. Senate budget writers should agree to a small but meaningful proviso advanced by the House that could potentially result in keeping at lease some of this regional history in Washington. As proposed by Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Bow, the $75,000 appropriation would start the state exploring how it can cooperate with universities, tribal governments and museums to hold onto the federal material.
“In my tribal world, we often go and use that facility,” said Lekanoff, who is Tlingit. “It’s like a grandmother. It holds all the knowledge for the tribes as we’re working on history and cultural research.”
Read more in The Seattle Times.