The Indigenous population in Washington state is expected to grow by nearly 12% in the next 10 years. But last year in the state Legislature there was just one Native lawmaker. This year, change is coming. For state Sen. Claudia Kauffman, change has been a fight for her people. She is a rare Indigenous representative in a centuries-old institution. “See I’m up on the wall,” Kauffman said. The flags of the 29 federally recognized Washington tribes stand in the capitol rotunda. Symbolic of their existence in a place where representation has been almost nonexistent. “Tripling the representation in the Washington state legislature is something we need to celebrate,” Kauffman said. From one representative in 2022 to three Indigenous lawmakers in 2023. Read more: https://www.king5.com/article/news/community/facing-race/indigenous-representation-olympia-washington-state-capitol-lawmakers/281-9fcfba7b-adf1-42df-9bbf-d7643a11ffb3