Collection is open for research.
Gift of Barbara Mackenzie, August 1983 (Lib. Acc. 16486).
The collection is arranged in two series:
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,
Celilo Falls Indian Relocation Project records, Mss 2678, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
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.
The Oregon Historical Society Research Library also holds an oral history interview with Barbara Mackenzie, SR 1936, which is
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.
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.
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.