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Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project records, 1948-1957
Overview of the Collection
- Compiler
- Mackenzie, Barbara A. (Barbara Amanda), 1905-2002
- Title
- Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project records
- Dates
- 1948-1957 (inclusive)19481957
1954-1957 (bulk)19541957 - Quantity
- 0.6 cubic feet, (2 document cases)
- Collection Number
- Mss 2678
- Summary
- Records compiled by Barbara Mackenzie, who directed a U.S. government project to remove and relocate Native residents of the fishing communities of Spearfish, Washington, and Celilo, Oregon. The communities were displaced by the government's construction of The Dalles Dam on the Columbia River in the 1950s. The collection includes case files on individuals, including biographical information and photographs of housing; correspondence; minutes of advisory committee meetings; and relocation plans.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
In the 1950s, the U.S. government's construction of The Dalles Dam on the Columbia River displaced the residents of the Native fishing communities of Spearfish, on the north side of the river, and Celilo Village, on the south side, which had been inhabited for thousands of years. When the dam was completed in 1957, the river inundated Celilo Falls and the sites of Spearfish and Celilo Village.
In the mid-1950s, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and Wasco County, Oregon, initiated the Celilo Indian Relocation Project to remove and relocate residents of the villages. Social worker Barbara Mackenzie (1905-2002) directed the project and established an advisory committee with both Native and non-Native members, which recommended families for relocation and determined residents' eligibility for financial assistance to buy or build homes. Mackenzie notified families of approval for relocation, managed relocation plans, assessed home costs, reported to the advisory committee, and acted as its secretary. The project relocated 36 families, but the relocation also scattered the communities; residents of the old Celilo Village moved to disparate locations including The Dalles, Gresham, Washington state, and Native reservations where they were enrolled.
Sources: "Death of Celilo Falls," Chapter 5, by Katrine Barber, University of Washington Press, 2005; "Helper of Families at Celilo Falls Dies," by Kara Briggs, Oregonian, October 23, 2022; "The Dalles Dam," by William F. Willingham, Oregon Encyclopedia, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/the_dalles_dam/; "Celilo Falls," by Katrine Barber, Oregon Encyclopedia, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/celilo_falls/
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Materials in this collection were compiled by Barbara Mackenzie (frequently identified as Mrs. T. T. Mackenzie), who directed the Celilo Falls relocation project. The records date primarily from 1954-1957, and document official activities associated with the process of removal and relocation of Native residents. The records consist of correspondence, minutes of advisory committee meetings, relocation plans, and case files for affected residents. These case files contain applications, summaries of action taken, and photographs of housing before and after relocation. Many of the documents deal with the residence status of individuals and families at Celilo, as well as their specific plans and preferences for relocation. Other records relate to Native burial relocation, monetary amounts provided, and a breakdown of Celilo residents by tribe.
The records were produced by individuals and representatives of various organizations and government offices, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its agencies for the Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Yakama tribes; the Wasco County court; the Army Corps of Engineers; and the Klickitat County Welfare Department, among others.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project records, Mss 2678, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series:
- Series 1: General files, 1948-1957
- Series 2: Case files on individuals, 1951-1957
Acquisition Information
Gift of Barbara Mackenzie, August 1983 (Lib. Acc. 16486).
Processing Note
Collection guide was revised in April 2024 to expand and clarify the content of the historical note, add information about related materials, and conform to current standard.
Related Materials
The Oregon Historical Society Research Library also holds an oral history interview with Barbara Mackenzie, SR 1936, which is available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Separated Materials
Photographs that the Oregon Historical Society Research Library received with this collection were cataloged separately as the Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project photographs collection, Org. Lot 172.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: General files, 1948-1957Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
1 | 1 | Correspondence |
1955-June 1956 |
1 | 2 | Correspondence |
July 1956-1957 |
1 | 3 | Minutes of committee meetings |
1954-1957 |
1 | 4 | Permanent residents of Celilo south of highway |
1948-1956 |
1 | 5 | Reports for appraiser |
circa 1956 |
1 | 6 | Suggested plan for relocation |
1956 |
1 | 7 | Waivers |
1956 |
Series 2: Case files on individuals, 1951-1957Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
1 | 8 | Abraham, Jack |
1956 |
1 | 9 | Brigham, Percy |
1954-1956 |
1 | 10 | Bruno, Frank |
1954 |
1 | 11 | Bushman, Joseph |
1956 |
1 | 12 | Carstens, Frank |
1954-1956 |
1 | 13 | Carstens, Ralph |
1955 |
1 | 14 | Charley, Sarah |
1955-1956 |
1 | 15 | Cloud, George |
1955-1956 |
1 | 16 | Cloud, Louis |
1955-1956 |
1 | 17 | Colwash, Annie (Mrs. Willie Palmer) |
1955-1956 |
1 | 18 | Cook, Joseph |
1955-1956 |
1 | 19 | Cook, Mathew |
1954-1956 |
1 | 20 | Corbett, Priscilla |
1954-1956 |
1 | 21 | Culpus, Willie John |
1956 |
1 | 22 | Edmo, Edward |
1954-1956 |
1 | 23 | Edsel, Edwin |
1956 |
1 | 24 | Elthe, Charley |
1955-1956 |
1 | 25 | Emmett, Maude |
1956 |
1 | 26 | Finley, Pansus |
1954-1956 |
1 | 27 | Foster, Alice Parker |
1954-1956 |
1 | 28 | Foster, Douglas |
1956 |
1 | 29 | Frank, Justus |
1954-1956 |
1 | 30 | George, Buster |
1955-1956 |
1 | 31 | George, Jimmie |
1954-1956 |
1 | 32 | Goudy, Matthew |
1954-1956 |
1 | 33 | Gunnier, Louis |
1954-1956 |
1 | 34 | Hayes, Joseph |
1951-1956 |
1 | 35 | Heath, Ellen Starr |
1956 |
1 | 36 | Hoptowit, Leo |
1955 |
1 | 37 | Howard, Elizabeth Richards |
1954-1956 |
1 | 38 | Hunt, James |
1954 |
1 | 39 | Ike, Louis |
1954 |
1 | 40 | Isaac, Walter |
1956 |
1 | 41 | Johnley, Minnie |
1954-1956 |
1 | 42 | Kahclamat, Kennedy |
1955-1956 |
1 | 43 | Kahclamat, Ladd C. Jr. |
1956 |
1 | 44 | Kahclamat, Peall |
1955-1956 |
1 | 45 | McConville, Richard |
1955 |
1 | 46 | Moses, Teeminway |
1955-1957 |
2 | 1 | Queamptus, Mitchell |
1955-1956 |
2 | 2 | Sam, Wilson |
1956 |
2 | 3 | Sconowah, Martha (Mattie) |
1955-1956 |
2 | 4 | Selam, Howard |
1955-1956 |
2 | 5 | Showaway, Abraham |
1954-1956 |
2 | 6 | Silas, Alexander |
1956 |
2 | 7 | Skahan, Joseph |
1956 |
2 | 8 | Smith, Caleb |
1954-1956 |
2 | 9 | Smith, Simon |
1954-1956 |
2 | 10 | Tahkeal, Clarence |
1955 |
2 | 11 | Tahkeal, William |
1955-1956 |
2 | 12 | Thomas, Mathew George |
1954-1956 |
2 | 13 | Thompson, Curtis |
1954-1956 |
2 | 14 | Thompson, Frieda |
1954-1957 |
2 | 15 | Thompson, Joseph |
1954-1956 |
2 | 16 | Underwood, Velma Skahan |
1955-1956 |
2 | 17 | Wak Wak, Wally |
1954-1956 |
2 | 18 | Wesley, McKinley |
undated |
2 | 19 | Wyman, Charles |
1954 |
2 | 20 | Yallup, Douglas |
1954-1956 |
2 | 21 | Yallup, Hannah |
1954; 1956 |
2 | 22 | Yallup, Owens |
1956 |
2 | 23 | Yallup, Wilfred |
1954; 1956 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Indians of North America--Relocation--Oregon--Celilo
- Indians of North America--Relocation--Washington (State)--Spearfish
Corporate Names
- Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project--Records and correspondence
Geographical Names
- Celilo (Or.)--History--20th century
- Spearfish (Wash.)--History--20th century
Form or Genre Terms
- case files
- correspondence
- minutes (administrative records)