Creek Story – Original Documentary Film by Dan Hamill & Sukhi Sanghera

“Creek Story” a documentary film by Dan Hammill and Sukhi Sanghera. Produced in cooperation with Micromedia, the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Washington University, and through a grant from the Whatcom Community Foundation.

“Creek Story” is a comprehensive 30-minute documentary video exploring the history of Whatcom Creek and the meaning of this historic natural resource to the Bellingham community. The story of Whatcom Creek doesn’t begin at its Lake Whatcom headwaters, or end at its estuary with Bellingham Bay. Like the water that runs through it, Whatcom Creek’s tale flows through the history of Bellingham. Its four short miles traverse not only sandstone formations, evergreen forests and an urban center, but also thousands of years of natural history, indigenous interaction and white settlement and colonization. “Creek Story” thoughtfully examines the social and cultural history surrounding the creek, and the impact of economic and industrial development over the past two centuries. Today, when we think of Whatcom Creek, we remember the 1999 pipeline explosion. The issues surrounding the explosion also highlight several recurring themes in the larger history of the Bellingham community and its utilization of local natural resources. Of particular interest, are the contrasting and often conflicting visions for the creek, which range from a cherished recreational resource to a site for economic development. The film will explore these themes and feature interviews with notable community members and government officials including Mayor Mark Asmundson, environmental leaders, Lummi elders, and interviews and narration by WWU faculty.

“Creek Story” is currently only available through The Center for Pacific Northwest Studies