Remembering Celilo: Ancient Heart of the Pacific Northwest

FAIN: QI-50010-06

Washington State Historical Society (Tacoma, WA 98402-3109)
Susan H. Armitage (Project Director: February 2006 to September 2006)
Katrine Elise Barber (Project Director: September 2006 to August 2007)

Implementation of a public conference about the historical and cultural meanings of Celilo Falls, site of an ancient Native American fishing and trading center that was submerged by a hydroelectric dam project in 1957.

This is multi-part collaborative effort culminating in a public conference in March 2007 on the 50th anniversary of the inundation of Celilo Falls on the Columbia River. By exploring the ways in which a vanished place continues to have contemporary meaning, the project will create public awareness of the importance of this historic place to regional and national history. The conference will demonstrate how knowledge of the ancient history of Celilo Falls expands the scope and meaning of Pacific Northwest history.