At first the normal reaction, the shallow surface level, is to be of nationalistic. As the memetic onion unpeels in the deep subconscious of the host some will stay or linger at one or another layer, but I have seen major shifts into the deeper layers by some who I thought would remain at the first several layers and I have seen some stay stuck at the first couple layers who I thought would delve deep into the core of the memetic onion. The meme conveys multiple layers to understanding Cascadia. I tend to look at the meme (viral idea) of the Cascadian flag like it’s a multilayered sphere or onion entering or implanted in the mindscape of the host and then unfolding while releasing its contagion. The flag gave access to the idea of Cascadia that was not limited to scholarly research or having the privilege of money and time for a camping trip on the other side of the continent. What the flag has done is convey something far more tangible than an abstract concept of demarcation of space. The bioregional congress gatherings were also limited to those that already knew about bioregionalism and often to those who could afford both the cost of camping in some distant place and the privilege to do so. The bioregional congress “movement” or gatherings was an echo of the alternative culture of a bygone generation. There were bioregional congresses, but they were periodic camp and small workshops that were from an older generation from the 1960s and 1970s. Prior to the design and its popularity, the idea of Cascadia, specifically the bioregion, was pretty much an abstract concept reserved for radical geographers, hip sociologists, devoted ecologists and “radical” environmentalists. That period of time was crucial in regards to what was happening in Cascadia at that point. The image stuck in my mind and spent a lot of time obsessively drawing the flag which really annoyed my soon to be wife. The three colors of blue, white and green came to mind and that the pine tree in front of us would be a Douglas fir. I said those vast vineyards if at my house would be vast green forests the distant mountains of the Matras would be the snowcapped Cascades with white clouds hovering above and above that might be the blue sky. One day in spring as I sat on a hill with my companion, I explained to her what the landscape of my home looked like. Though I totally love the people, cultures and landscape of Eastern Europe, I was deeply homesick for the forests of Cascadia, specifically the Willamette Valley forests I grew up around. " In the academic year of 1994-1995, I ended up doing graduate work in Eastern Europe studying nationalism and ethnic minorities. One of the best descriptions and history of the Doug Flags come from Alexanders own writing: The conifer tree as the Douglas Fir, the Redwood, the Cedar, the Spruce, the Pine and all other Evergreens can be found in many of the various political and social organizations throughout the bioregion. The conifer tree found in a variety of species throughout the bioregion stands in defiance of storm, fire and Man. The green represents the forests and fields. The white represents the clouds and snow. The blue represents the unpolluted sky, the Pacific Ocean and the rivers and lakes that flow in Cascadia. ![]() The tri-colors of blue, white and green has been a continuous series of colors applied to the region known as Cascadia, the Oregon Territory, Ecotopia, Chinook Ilahee, Pacifica, the Pacific Northwest, the NorthEast Pacific and all the other names this region comes to be called. The flag is also called the Cascadian flag or just Doug for short. Most of those early digital versions displayed a full color tree.Įventually in 2004-2005, the full color conifer was replaced with the silhouette of a Douglas Fir which then matched the original idea of the flag. Earlier digital imagines of the flag were not how he originally imagined it. This flag was conceived in 1995 when Alexander Baretich was sitting on a hill in Eastern Europe homesick for the conifer trees he grew up with.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |