Remembering Celilo Falls

Visitors paid tribute to Celilo Falls and visited The Next Door’s new offices March 9 with unveiling of a new mural featuring the historic falls. Pictured above are, left to right, Patricia Whitefoot, a speaker at the event; Toma Villa, the mural artist; Linda Meanus, a speaker at the event; Tim Shampoe, The Next Door’s Klahre House Alternative School administrator and Pamela Larsen, developer of the Confluence in the Classroom education program.

The Next Door celebrated with a Tribute to Celilo Falls event featuring an open house and unveiling of the new mural on the outside of its building at 1113 Kelly Ave. The event was held Saturday, March 9, just one day shy of the anniversary of the flooding of the falls by The Dalles Dam.

The tribute featured guest speakers from the Native American community, including Gaylyn Jackson, Linda Meanus of Celilo Village and Patricia Whitefoot of the Yakama Nation. Presenters, most of whom were in grade school when Celilo Falls was flooded, spoke of their memories of the falls, as well as their mixed emotions of pride and sadness when remembering the falls.