We talk a lot about how Willamette Falls brings people together—how it’s been a gathering place for Indigenous communities since time immemorial. But after a year filled with isolation and distance, a sense of togetherness has been hard to connect to. We’ve had to stay away from our elders to protect them, keep our distance from loved ones because we care. And yet, so much about what unites us can be found in the closeness of touch, shared understanding in our eyes, the connection of sharing a meal, the value of conversation in someone’s home. The things that have always brought us together were lost this past year. It has been hard for many.
That’s what made May 14th so monumental for all of us here at Willamette Falls Trust.
We had the honor of gathering together with our Board representatives and Tribal leaders of four regional Tribes, taking a boat ride to gather at the foot of Willamette Falls. There are moments you know you will always remember. This is one of them.
As we felt, firsthand, the power of the Falls all around us—in the water, in the air, in the rocks—we were reminded of our connection to the grandeur of this natural wonder— and our responsibility to it, and each other.
“It’s been over 40 years since I’ve been in this place and felt the water. This is where we came to fish, and where we bring our young men so they can fish for our people. I came as a young man to fish for eels and carry that role, that connection…it’s been a long time.” —Delvis Heath Sr., Chief of the Warm Springs Tribe and Willamette Falls Trust Board Member.
For most of our group, it had been years since they’d be up close to the Falls. For some, it was their first time. What was truly remarkable was that this was the first time these specific Tribal leaders from the Confederated Tribes of Siletz, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation had gathered here together—each with their own histories and relationship to the Falls. Each represents the unique and diverse lifeways emerging from this special place, and at the same time, reflects a shared connection.
Connections that last
As they led us in prayer and song, we were reminded that no matter how far we have all been from each other, our connection remains. And that spirit of the Falls—the welcome of the water—infuses our vision of a public riverwalk that will once again be open to people and families from every walk of life. That will once again invite all communities to find their connection to nature, to each other and to the generations that will come afterwards. As spring carries us into a season of rebirth, and the potential of greater closeness, we’re grateful for moments like these that show us the things that make us human, that connect us—are the things that will last.
