Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor | Call it the txʷaalqəł–Donkey Creek Conservation Area
I welcome the proposal to build trails through the txʷaalqəł Conservation Area along Donkey Creek. I grew up nearby and often visited the creek as a boy to fish, wander and catch crawdads. Giving today’s children an opportunity to experience this small stream would connect them with nature and with our community’s past.
Conservation and public access need not be opposites. People are more likely to value and protect the environment when they can experience it firsthand. For a child, that should sometimes mean more than looking at a stream from behind a railing. Where conditions permit, children should be able to get their feet wet, touch the water and experience the simple joy of playing beside a stream. Well-designed trails, carefully chosen access points, educational signs and sensible rules can protect sensitive habitat while allowing children to form that personal connection.
I do wonder whether the name txʷaalqəł, presented by itself, is accessible to most residents. Honoring the area’s Native history is worthwhile, but many people will not know how to pronounce or remember the Lushootseed name. Why not identify it publicly as the “txʷaalqəł–Donkey Creek Conservation Area” and provide a pronunciation guide and an explanation of the name? That would honor the Swiftwater People while also helping the entire community understand and use the name.
Kenneth Malich
Gig Harbor