Emily Washines: Dam's removal a step in right direction

Friday, October 28, 2011  

"The existence of Condit Dam has been a blink of time in the history of the White Salmon watershed.

Since time immemorial, the White Salmon River has originated from the southwestern slope of Mount Adams. The White Salmon River, mɨt’úla wana, was named for the white salmon. White salmon spawned here, the salmon eggs grew and went towards the ocean. They grew more and then they returned.

In those days, salmon were in abundance. Many tribal members would gather along the banks to fish from the rocks or river. The unique rainfall pattern in this area—wet on the west side, dry on the east side—produced a remarkable variety of foods and medicines that cause the White Salmon to be an important food gathering center for tribal members. People would gather here to hunt, fish, and gather berries and hazelnuts. Even today, the trained tribal eye can detect places where our elders fished, hunted, made baskets, and stored food.

On the confluence of the White Salmon and Columbia Rivers, there is a village that is central to some of our oral traditions. The mouth of the White Salmon is also a traditional trading area that our elders refer to as namnit. At the end of the fall salmon run, houses and drying sheds would have been visible along both banks of the White Salmon River."

Get the Story:
Emily Washines: The Condit Dam Removal and Moving forward in the White Salmon River (Indian Country Today 10/27)