BOT visits potential housing sites along the Columbia

Decades after the loss of Celilo Falls and Village to the Dalles Dam, the Army Corps of Engineers is working with CTUIR to replace tribal housing there.

GARRETT BROWN CTUIR Office of Legal Counsel

MISSION, Ore. – The CTUIR Board of Trustees and staff toured existing In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access sites and potential housing sites along the Columbia River July 12-13. The group visited some promising sites for housing, ruled out others, and bore witness to the conditions at the fishing sites.

In the mid-twentieth century, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed several dams that inundated tribal fishing and village sites along the Columbia River. In 1957, the construction of The Dalles Dam resulted in the devastating loss of Celilo Falls and Village. When the U.S. Congress authorized the construction of these dams, it also directed the Army Corps to replace tribal housing. After many decades, the Army Corps is finally working to meet this obligation.

In 2016, the Army Corps presented the Columbia River Treaty Tribes with a list of potential housing sites along the Columbia River. Based on the existing legislation at the time, the Army Corps determined that only sites located in The Dalles dam pool would be considered for developing housing. The BOT and staff have spent the last several years pursuing legislative fixes in Congress while working with the Army Corps on The Dalles Village Development Plan.

Recent legislation expanded the areas that can be considered for development. On December 23, 2022, President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023 which included the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA 2022). WRDA 2022 clarified the Army Corps’ authority to address the current housing needs along the Columbia River. Significantly, WRDA 2022 included clear legal authority for the Army Corps to develop multiple housing sites.

PHOTOS

The Board and staff are working with the Corps to evaluate possible housing sites, including sites beyond the area of The Dalles dam. During their tour, the CTUIR group traveled to several In-Lieu and Treaty fishing Access sites, and ten potential housing sites. The CTUIR group also met with staff from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fishing Commission (CRITFC) and N’Chi Wana Housing. The Board of Trustees will follow up this tour with a work session on

August 11, 2023.

CTUIR Board of Trustees attendees included: Chair Kat Brigham, Vice Chair Aaron Ashley, Secretary Sally Kosey, Member at Large and Fish & Wildlife Commission Chair Corrine Sams, Member at Large Toby Partick, and Member at Large Boots Pond. CTUIR staff included: Housing Department Director Marcus Luke, Housing Department Maintenance Manager Tanner Michael, and Attorney Garrett Brown.