Program Name:
Earthquake Program Video “Run to High Ground!”
Administering Agency:
Washington State Military Department, Emergency Management Division
Contact: George Crawford,
Earthquake Program Manager
Address: Building 20, Camp
Murray, WA: 98430-5122
Telephone: 253-512-7067
Fax: 253-512-7205
E-mail: g.crawford@emd.wa.gov
Program Summary
In
January 1700, a Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake caused subsidence of
coastal southwestern Washington and tsunamis, which has been documented
through scientific investigation. Japan has also documented the tremendous
damage received there from this tsunami. We have also found documentation
by the first European settlers on the Washington coast relating to
earthquakes and tsunamis in tribal legends. While we have learned much from
scientific research, we lacked the human element on this event so citizens
could relate. For this we went to Washington coastal tribes for an answer.
Oral history by our tribes would add the human side of the
earthquake/tsunami event on our coast and allow our children to identify
with the hazard locally. Through the art of storytelling, we would also
understand how Native Americans dealt with such events, and provide a piece
of Washington history to teach our school children through the eyes of
Native Americans.
In
April 2002, Washington Emergency Management Division (EMD) in collaboration
with DHS/FEMA Region X and the University of Washington met with coastal
tribes and partnered with the Olympic Peninsula Intertribal Cultural
Advisory Committee (OPICAC) to help identify sources among tribal nations
that could help make the video and provide guidance on tribal issues
regarding its production. FEMA provided the initial introduction to tribal
members but Washington EMD spearheaded the project itself from there. In
June 2003, EMD entered into a contract with Global Net Productions to
complete a tsunami video that could be used with Washington’s tsunami
curriculum (K-6). During one of our meetings with OPICAC we met Viola Riebe,
a member of the Hoh Tribe, who shared oral history she had learned from her
father and elders of the tribe. She volunteered to be the native/first
nation storyteller and shared indigenous artwork and music, becoming our
Native American expert on the production of this video. Through her
personal efforts we were able to capture Native American oral history, art,
and culture in providing a tribal story to our young that teaches them the
threat of earthquakes and tsunamis and what action they need to take.
The
video is being placed in all Washington schools; coastal tribes and those in
British Columbia now have them and are using them in their education
programs; the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program has made
distribution to all member states and federal partners; eight South Pacific
Nations have been given the video and after the December 26, 2004 Sumatra
earthquake/tsunami; and the video was made available to the Asian Tsunami
Countries. As of this writing, the author has received a request from India
for a waiver of copyright so they can distribute the video nation-wide.
The
production of this video is a great example of a partnership and how a state
can take advantage of local resources to develop a video that is now
influencing the world community.
Program Operational
Since December 2003.
Major Purposes
The video was designed to educate children on
the earthquake and tsunami threat along the Northwest coast. The video
provides the human element through the oral history of Native Americans that
supports evidence found by the scientific community. The video educates on
the correct procedures to take for an earthquake and tsunami and the various
tools available to support the planning and response effort in tsunami
coastal communities. Through this video, stronger governmental
relationships have been established increasing tribal involvement in the
state earthquake program.
Specific Activities and Operations
The video is being placed in all schools in
Washington and is part of the K-6 Tsunami Curriculum. It is also used in
all Pacific Rim States, eight Pacific Nations and given to the international
community after the December 26, 2004 Sumatra Earthquake/Tsunami. Workshops
and town hall meetings are held on the coast and the video is an integral
part of the workshop to education our citizens and to facilitate discussion
on evacuation and preparedness tools that are used in these tsunami coastal
communities.
New Approaches and Methods
This is the first video of its kind that has
been developed in partnership with Native American Tribes regarding the 1700
Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake. It supports scientific evidence and
written documents by the first European settlers in coastal Washington.
Program Funding
Start-Up Costs: $60,000
Source: NOAA/EMPG
Annual Budget:
$2,500, for duplication &
distribution
Source:
NOAA/EMPG
Program Staffing
2
FTE
Program Origin
This
program was started in Washington State and has been fully implemented. We
are not aware of similar programs in other states.
Achievement of Stated Purposes
The video has been very effective in the
education of our young – the video is sought after by school teachers who
have seen the video being used in the classroom. Because of its appeal to
Native Americans and South Pacific Nations (cultural background) the video
is an excellent teaching tool. It effectively ties scientific evidence and
written documents from Japan to the oral history that has been passed down
through Native American history. Many of the educational messages that are
in the video can be directly linked to actions in the December 26, 2004
Sumatra earthquake/tsunami event. The volume of request for this video both
locally, nationally and internationally speaks for the effectiveness and
usefulness of the product.
Obstacles Other States Might Encounter
There has been no change in the use of the
video other than the use of it during town hall meetings and workshops to
help facilitate discussion on tsunami preparedness issues. Other states
wanting to create a similar video using their local oral histories could
follow the procedures that this program used. However, along the West Coast
of the U.S. and Canada, the oral histories all reflect the same information
on these events basically and so this specific video is already useful to
all.
