Matrix search: Salish-Shidhe

The free city of Seattle is part of UCAs but is surrounded by the Salish-Shidhe.

Formed following the Treaty of Denver, the Salish nation formally became the Salish-Shidhe Council in 2029, when the young nation opened its borders to any and all metahumans seeking asylum. These immigrants were welcomed into existing tribes, but many went on to form tribes of their own, sometimes choosing to follow the traditional ways of the Native Americans despite their genetic heritage. The most famous of these “pink-skin” tribes was the Sinsearach elves, a breakaway group of whom went on to found Tir Tairngire in the South of the Salish-Shidhe lands.

The Salish-Shidhe Council is commonly held to be the most tribally oriented of the Native American Nations, with each tribe remaining autonomous and self-governing. Though there are national laws, tribes may enforce their own local laws and traditions however they choose within their own territory.

Each tribe sends one representative to serve on the country’s central Council, though how these “elders” are chosen varies wildly between tribes, with some being democratically elected, some inheriting their position and others being chosen in more unusual ways.

Major cities in the Salish-Shidhe Council include Bellingham, which acts as the capital of the country, and Vancouver, which is held up as the nation’s cultural hub.

The most famous landmark in the Salish-Shidhe Council is probably Mount Rainier, which famously erupted during the Great Ghost Dance and has remained an active volcano ever since. It remains the region’s most active volcano to this day and was responsible for the devastation of the Puyallup region of Seattle in 2017.

The Salish-Shidhe Council (SSC) is the most tribal oriented nation of the NAN. With a large number of them, the biggest and most influencial tribes are arguably the Salish, the technology-oriented tribe that provides energy in the form of fusion, wind and geothermal, and the Makah, that controls most of the military bases and assets. Even Non-Amerinds who have adopted tribal lifestyles have a place in this land.

Due to the tribal nature of the SSC, megacorporations have a relatively low presence here, with only two standing out as having significant holdings. Gaetronics, a tribal owned and operated eco-friendly power supplier as well as Universal Omnitech are both very active in the nation. Most of the ecomony rests on the shoulders of Gaeatronics and its energy marketing.

Relations with neighboring Tsimshian have hostile since Tsimshian pulled out of the Sovereign Tribal Council (STC) in 2037. Skirmishes along the borders between the two nations resulted in many deaths, a conflict that exploded in 2062 when Tsimshian forces penetrated deep into Salish-Shidhe land before being repelled back over the border. Yet before victory could be celebrated, a mysterious biological agent was unleashed that devastated thousands of SSC troops and civilians before medical aid could be administered. Now as the two sides regroup in a cease-fire, Salish-Shidhe anger builds towards Tsimshian and the Sovereign Tribal Council, which did not intervene in the bloody conflict.

Fortunately for Seattle the SSC isn’t too hostile to the Metroplex or the UCAS. Most of the councils tribes were satisfied with the accords of the Treaty of Denver, and expect no trouble from the UCAS here. As long as Seattle keeps its problems contained inside its own borders, the Salish-Shidhe Council leave the sprawl alone.

However many of Seattle’s problems refuse to be contained. The pollution created in the city is a long-standing sticking point between the Council and the Metroplex government. Corporations in Seattle pump out a lot of industrial grade waste, and pollution knows no borders. The Council regularly lobbies for stricter pollution controls and better regulation within the Metroplex.

The Council allegedly has ties to ecoterrorist groups like TerraFirst! and Deep Green and they use those connections to apply pressure to operations in Seattle they want regulated or close down.

Recent events in Seattle have also spilled over into tribal territory. Fights between the various criminal syndicates and even corporations end up affecting parts of the Salish-Shidhe Council lands which makes them wary of Seattle.

Leave a Reply