Celilo Falls revealed

Celilo Falls is the subject of the latest Oregon Field Guide program on Oregon Public Broadcasting.

The show airs this Thursday evening, Nov. 20 at 8:30 p.m.; and will re-air on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Before the dam

Celilo Falls was the oldest continuously inhabited community on the North American continent, a place of civilization from time immemorial.

It was the great fishing and trading place of the Northwest, and home of the Wasco Indians.

The Warm Springs bands lived on the nearby tributaries of the Columbia, and had strong ties to the Wasco.

Many of these tribal members were moved to the Warm Springs Reservation after the Treaty of 1855, though the bond to Celilo remained.

The tribes today maintain fishing and other traditional rights at the Celilo area, as part of the Ceded Lands.

In 1957 The Dalles Dam backed up the Columbia River and buried the falls under 40 feet of water, an enduring disaster for the tribes.

Celilo today

A difficult question to ask is what remains of the place that was Celilo Falls.

Oregon Field Guide seeks to answer the question, using new technology to see what Celilo Falls look like today, underwater.

“For several years, stories have circulated that the U.S. government not only flooded Celilo Falls in 1957, but that it blew them up with dynamite,” according to the preview of the show.

“Oregon Field Guide seeks to answer the lingering questions with an examination of historic film, never-before-seen photos and long-lost evidence of explosions that caused damage to tribal homes.

“Plus, for the first time in 50 years, it is possible to actually see Celilo Falls as they exist today—40 feet under water. The new images reveal remarkable details many thought they would never again see.”

Effigy Beach

Viewers of the program  will also learn about a new approach to protect some ancient rock art.

The Native rock art is located at the  sand banks of the Columbia River east of Vancouver. The area is called Effigy Beach. An increase in development, vandalism and theft has put the rock art at risk.

In the past, archaeologists have tried to keep the locations of prehistoric carved rocks secret. Now, there is a new effort to actually expose the art to the public, as a means of preserving them, according to the Oregon Field Guide preview.