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Traditional net fishing from a platform
Celilo Falls was an Indian gathering point and fishing grounds.
The falls area is a few miles upstream from The Dalles, Oregon. As many as ten thousand Indians came to Celilo Falls from as far away as California and British Columbia. They came not only to fish but to trade goods and exchange stories. The falls were dangerous but provided and opportunity to catch many salmon. The falls are now buried under the backwaters of The Dalles Dam.
I was offered the opportunity to use an old black and white photo of one of the many platforms with
an Indian hauling in a big salmon, for a painting.
These platforms precariously hung out over the falls. I tried to capture the drama of the rushing cascading waters. The Indian is in traditional work clothes from that period of time.
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