Cascadia – Black Mountain Druid Order

Cascadia is a distinct bioregion that is separate from most of the rest of the United States and Canada. It consists of Washington, Oregon, northern California, parts of British Columbia in Canada, and in some maps parts of Idaho and Montana.

The movement for an independent Cascadia has been active since at least 1813 when the eastern United States recognized the establishment of Fort Astoria in the Pacific Northwest. At that time Thomas Jefferson, then the president of the United States, acknowledged Fort Astoria but did not want to consider them a part of the United States because there was no way, in a time when horse-drawn carriages were the primary means of transportation, that the U.S. government could defend and protect the West Coast.

Click here for a history of Cascadia

Jefferson advised John Jacob Astor, the founder of Fort Astoria, to form another country. This country eventually came to be known as Cascadia, named for the Cascade Mountain region that divided this area from the rest of the North American continent.

The map shown here shows one geographical interpretation of the nation of Cascadia. If Forest Moon Ecovillage ever becomes a reality it will be within the boundaries of the nation of Cascadia. The ideals of Forest Moon Ecovillage are the ideals of Cascadia.

The book Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach describes what such a nation would look like. Less of a novel and more of a blueprint, this book delves into what the nation of Cascadia could be in the future.

Cascadia participated in the 2018 World Cup as an independent nation. We have our own national anthem and a wide group of supporters for an independent and free Cascadia.

Will Cascadia ever become an independent nation? What does it mean to be an independent nation anyway? Most of us who live in the portions of Cascadia in the United States have more in common with our Canadian brothers and sisters than we do with the rest of the United States. The same is true for residents of British Columbia and their relationship with the rest of Canada.

Is it likely that we will ever fight a war for Cascadian independence? Probably not. But what does it mean to be an independent nation? Many Cascadians will tell you that we are already independent in everything but name. Whether or not our independence is recognized by Canada or the United States is probably irrelevant, as that would be asking for recognition as an independent nation from the very countries that we are already independent from.

I prefer to consider myself a citizen of Cascadia than a citizen of the United States, as the ideals of Cascadia, many of which are outlined in the lyrics of our national anthem, are much closer to my own personal ideals than the ideals of the United States of America or Canada. If the lyrics below strike a chord within your own soul, maybe you’re a citizen of Cascadia as well.