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The Newsfeed: What Mossback hopes you learn from Season 11

Knute Berger's award-winning show on Northwest history chronicled doll espionage, the mysterious Mima Mounds and a free speech riot.

The Newsfeed: What Mossback hopes you learn from Season 11

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Paris Jackson

Shannen Ortale

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Paris Jackson Shannen Ortale Dec 5, 2025

Dec 5, 2025

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          <article>
            <header>
              <hgroup>
                <h1>The Newsfeed: What Mossback hopes you learn from Season 11</h1>
                <h2><p>Knute Berger's award-winning show on Northwest history chronicled doll espionage, the mysterious Mima Mounds and a free speech riot.</p></h2>
              </hgroup>
               <p>By <a href="/author/paris-jackson/">Paris Jackson</a></p>  <p>By <a href="/author/shannen-ortale/">Shannen Ortale</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Dec 5, 2025</time></p>
            </header>
            
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<p>We’re exploring the latest season of the Cascade PBS series Mossback’s Northwest with host Knute Berger. &nbsp;</p><p>Season 11 took us across the timeline of the Pacific Northwest, covering topics such as the history of glaciers in the Northwest and exploring the mysterious past of the ancient Mima Mounds. &nbsp;</p><p>This season also dug into the history of Seattle, including the lasting roots of Skid Road<em>,</em> created by some of the city’s founders, and the story of a festival in the early 1900s that erupted into violence over issues of politics, patriotism and free speech. &nbsp;</p><p>Season 11 features many intriguing women from the region’s past. &nbsp;</p><p> “I kept looking into different stories and there were some really interesting women from all kinds of walks of life, that kind of kept coming to the center of the pieces. So, for example, there was a World War II spy story that I came across that had a really interesting Northwest angle that hadn’t really been written about very much. And, it was a woman named Velvalee Dickinson, ... who dealt in exotic dolls, and she was writing letters, basically doing intelligence gathering for the Japanese,” said Berger. &nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.cascadepbs.org/show/mossbacks-northwest-2/" rel="noreferrer noopener"><u>Find all episodes from season 11 here</u></a>, as well as the previous 10 seasons. &nbsp;</p>
          </article>

We’re exploring the latest season of the Cascade PBS series Mossback’s Northwest with host Knute Berger. 

Season 11 took us across the timeline of the Pacific Northwest, covering topics such as the history of glaciers in the Northwest and exploring the mysterious past of the ancient Mima Mounds. 

This season also dug into the history of Seattle, including the lasting roots of Skid Road, created by some of the city’s founders, and the story of a festival in the early 1900s that erupted into violence over issues of politics, patriotism and free speech. 

Season 11 features many intriguing women from the region’s past. 

 “I kept looking into different stories and there were some really interesting women from all kinds of walks of life, that kind of kept coming to the center of the pieces. So, for example, there was a World War II spy story that I came across that had a really interesting Northwest angle that hadn’t really been written about very much. And, it was a woman named Velvalee Dickinson, ... who dealt in exotic dolls, and she was writing letters, basically doing intelligence gathering for the Japanese,” said Berger. 

Find all episodes from season 11 here, as well as the previous 10 seasons. 

Paris Jackson

By Paris Jackson

Paris Jackson is the host of The Newsfeed. She’s an Emmy Award-winning journalist who's spent more than 15 years in commercial television and public media.

Paris Jackson is the host of The Newsfeed. She’s an Emmy Award-winning journalist who's spent more than 15 years in commercial television and public media.

Shannen Ortale

By Shannen Ortale

Shannen Ortale is a producer at Cascade PBS. She formerly worked as a freelancer & film festival programmer. She also served as a producer & educator for community media & public television in Boston.

Shannen Ortale is a producer at Cascade PBS. She formerly worked as a freelancer & film festival programmer. She also served as a producer & educator for community media & public television in Boston.