The Corps of Engineers and Celilo Falls: Facing the past, Looking to the Future

Abstract

_DIANA FREDLUND The Corps of Engineers and Celilo Falls Facing the Past, Looking tothe Future ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 10, 1957, U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers Portland District commander Col. Jackson Graham changed the character of theColumbia River. By closing the gates of the newly completed Dalles Dam, Graham started filling the reservoir thatwould form behind the 130-foot tall structure, inundating Celilo Falls about tenmiles to the east. On hand towitness the eventwere local, state, and federal officials who hailed the dam as an important component of hydropower production in the Pacific Northwest. Another group was also keenly aware of the event, but theywatched the risingwater with tears,not pride or satisfaction. Native Americans who lived near the falls at Celilo Village and fished theColumbia River knew their liveswould never be the same. Celilo Village was one remnant of a place that had historically been the economic, cultural, and spiritual center for mid-Columbia River tribes. Prior to construction of the dam, the nearby falls supported the fishing activities of some five thousand Indians.1 By themorning ofMarch 11, Celilo Falls had slipped beneath the rising river, silencing a roar that had been heard in the region for thousands of years. Along with the falls,what remained of the original Celilo Village was inundated. During the final months of dam construction, the Corps had relocated residents to nearby communities or to a new village on the south side of the railroad tracks about amile away. MID-COLUMBIA RIVER INDIANS?groups ofwhichbecame the Nez Perce Tribe, theConfederated Tribes of theUmatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, and the Confeder 688 OHQ vol. 108, no. 4 ? 2007 Oregon Historical Society Celilo Village, located on the Columbia River, has traditionallybeen used by Native Americans as a gatheringplace duringfishing season. BeforeThe Dalles Dam was constructed,theU.S. ArmyCorps ofEngineers relocated the fishing village about a quarter-milefrom itsoriginal location.Part ofCelilo Falls can be seen in this photograph of salmon drying shedsat thevillage, taken inabout 1935. ated Tribes and Bands of theYakama Indian Nation ? negotiated treaties with theUnited States in 1855 inwhich they retained their right to take fish at all their "usual and accustomed places," many ofwhich were located near Celilo Falls on theColumbia River.2 By the 1930s,hydropower had become a popular source of electricity, and theCorps saw rivers in the Pacific North west as excellent candidates for hydroelectric dams. Bonneville Dam was the first of a series of federal dams on theColumbia and Snake rivers that was authorized by theUnited States Congress. President Franklin Roosevelt presided over Bonneville's dedication in 1937.A devastating flood in 1948 destroyed the town of Vanport, Oregon, and residents of the region saw flood protection as another potential benefit of dams. The Dalles Dam was the next project completed by theCorps. Fredlund,The Corps of Engineers and Celilo Falls 689 s above: Officialsfrom theU.S. ArmyCorps ofEngineersmeet with theYakama Tribal Council in 1954 todiscuss how the tribe would be compensatedfor the lossof ability to fish inusual and accustomedplaces, as reservedby treatyin 1855, when The Dalles Dam flooded theCelilo fishery. below: Prior to thedam's completion, theBureau ofIndian Affairsand theCorps ofEngineers relocatedmany Celilo Villagefamilies toothercommunities.Fourteen homeswere builtfor residents who chose not tomove awayfrom thevillage.Newly built in 1955,thishomewas one of four constructedby contractorsusing new materials; theother ten were built usingWorld War II surplus buildingmaterials. 3 690 OHQ vol. 108, no. 4 Both Bonneville and The Dalles dams had major impacts on the lives of Indians living along the river. When the pool behind Bonneville Dam filled in 1938,Native people lost about fortyof their "usual and accustomed" fishing sites. The Dalles Dam destroyed many more fishing sites and forced Celilo Village's relocation. In 1948, during construction ofThe Dalles Dam, the federal government acquired land about a quarter-mile east of the original village and built replacement homes usingWorld War II surplus housing. Because theCorps was constructing the dam, theU.S. government charged it with relocating communities thatwould be inundated when the reservoir filled, including Celilo Village. The poor quality of construction materials and inadequate maintenance at the relocated villages caused structures tobadly deteriorate, leaving residents without...