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)
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

Acquisition Information

Gift of Barbara McKenzie, 1983 August.

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