Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project Records, 1948-1957
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project
- Title
- Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project Records
- Dates
- 1948-1957 (inclusive)19481957
- Quantity
- .6 cubic feet (2 document cases)
- Collection Number
- Mss 2678
- Summary
- Records collected by Barbara MacKenzie as part of a U.S. Government project to relocate Native Americans displaced by the construction of the Dalles Dam in eastern Oregon and Washington State. Includes case files on individuals, including biographical information and photographs of housing; correspondence; minutes of 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
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project was made necessary by the construction of The Dalles Dam which flooded the town of Celilo, Oregon and Spearfish, Washington when it came into operation in March 1957. Funds were distributed to Indian families and individuals determined to be permanent residents of the Celilo area.
Residents were interviewed regarding their eligibility and preferences in relocation. Case files were compiled from this information, and many included pictures of housing before and after relocation.
Barbara MacKenzie was a member of the advisory committee to the Wasco County Welfare Commission. In 1955 she started work in the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to assist in determining the eligibility of Native Americans to receive benefits.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project records date mostly from the years 1955-1957 and include project correspondence, minutes of committee meetings, relocation plans, and case histories of affected Indian families. These case histories contain
applications, summaries of action taken, and photographs of housing before and after relocation. The records cover official activities involved in the relocation process.
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 Yakima tribes; The Wasco County Court; The Army Corps of Engineers; and the Klickitat County Welfare Department,
among others.
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 issues covered include Indian burial relocation, monetary amounts awarded, and a
breakdown of Celilo residents by tribe.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any publication use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Preferred Citation
Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project Records, Mss2678, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series:
- Series A: General Files, 1948-1957
- Series B: Case Files on Individuals, 1951-1957
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series A: 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 B: 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--Columbia River Valley--Relocation
Personal Names
- MacKenzie, Barbara (creator)
Corporate Names
- Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project--Archives
Geographical Names
- Celilo (Or.)--History
- Celilo Lake (Or. and Wash.)--History
- Dalles (Or.)--History
- Spearfish (Wash.)--History
Form or Genre Terms
- Case files
- Letters
- Minutes
