Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chamber of Commerce
( 541-386-2000;
www.hoodriver.org
; 720 E Port Marina Dr;
9am-5pm Mon-Fri year-round, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun Apr-Oct)
US Forest Service Office
(
541-308-1700; 902 Wasco St;
8am-4:30pm Mon-Fri)
For
hiking and camping information.
Getting There & Away
Railroad. Amtrak's
Empire Builder
stops daily at Bingen, on the Washington side of the
gorge, along its Portland-Spokane leg.
THE FALL OF CELILO
On March 10, 1957, the newly constructed gates of the Dalles Dam closed for the
first time, nearly halting the mighty Columbia. Eight miles upstream, it took only a
few hours for Celilo Falls - an important Native American fishing ground - to be
forever buried under the rising floodwaters. It was the end of a Native American
identity, tradition and livelihood that dated back over 10,000 years.
Over millennia, thousands of Native American peoples from as far away as the
Great Plains and Alaska would gather at Celilo Falls - also known as Wyam ('the
echo of falling water') - to fish for salmon, trade goods and socialize. Lewis and
Clark stopped by in 1805 and were amazed by the variety and numbers of people
they encountered here.
Celilo Falls' tallest drop only stood at 22ft, but in volume the falls were the sixth
largest in the world. Native Americans would risk their lives on rickety wooden plat-
forms over the rushing currents while using dip nets to catch their 60lb quarry. It
was a dangerous occupation - if they fell, survival was unlikely - but a good day
could yield tons of fish.
Native American tribes were financially compensated for the submergence of
the falls, but their cultural loss is priceless. Today, over 55 years later, Celilo Falls is
still mourned by those who remember its glory and significance. In fall 2015 a me-
morial by Maya Lin (who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington,
DC) is set to be dedicated in Celilo Park; see
www.confluenceproject.org
.
TOP OF CHAPTER
The Dalles & Around
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