View XML QR Code

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)
1954-1957 (bulk)
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
Return to Top

Historical Note

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/

Return to Top

Content Description

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.

Return to Top

Use of the Collection

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.

Return to Top

Administrative Information

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.

Return to Top

Detailed Description of the Collection

Geoffrey B. Wexler
2006; revised 2024

CC0

About Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West