Be it at a soccer match or a protest, The Doug is showing up more and more around Cascadia. Since its creation in 1994 by Alexander Baretich, a Portland native, it has come to be the most commonly used symbol of Cascadia.
While it has changed somewhat over time the basic design has remained constant: three stripes, blue, white and green, with a conifer tree as it’s center. It draws its name from the Douglas Fir tree which is mostly commonly used.
Variation have been introduced highlighting other native trees such as the western cedar, lodge pole pine, nootka Cyprus and Oregon white oak.
Baretich offered this explanation of its symbolism for us:
“The blue represents the moisture rich sky above & Pacific ocean along with the Salish Sea, lakes & other inland waters. Our home is of continuous cascading waters flowing from our sky & mountains back to the Pacific. For Cascadia is a “land of falling water” from the Pacific to the western slopes of the Rockies where water cycles as vapor & then rain & snow to run through creek & river back to the Pacific. The white is for the snow & clouds which are the catalyst of water changing from one state of matter to another. From liquid into vapor (mist & clouds) & from vapor into solid (ice & snow) & melting back to liquid or vapor. The green is the forests & fields which too carries life giving water through our biodiverse land. The lone standing Douglas Fir symbolizes endurance, defiance & resilience against fire, flood, catastrophic change & even against the anthropocentric Man. All these symbols of color & icon come together to symbolize what being Cascadian is all about.”
If you are interested in purchasing a flag they are offered online at https://www.cascadianow.org/swag for $24, as well as a rainbow version for $12. You can also check out the facebook forum for an upcoming flag making event.
There is also now a nice wikipedia article about the Doug flag and its use within Cascadia found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_flag.
