2022 Board Retreat to Advance
“The Trust is a vehicle for reparation. If we can bring access to Willamette Falls, our children will have something to stand on. This project is for everyone.”
— Toby Patrick, Board of Trustees Member at Large, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
In late March of 2022, the Trust had the pleasure of convening our Board to discuss the future of programming and public access at Willamette Falls. Since the availability of the COVID vaccine, the Trust has prioritized meeting in person, on Tribal land, to reaffirm our connection to people we represent.
Our Board, composed of Tribal Representatives and community leaders, has been the driving force of much of our work, helping to shape the direction of the organization and providing valuable insight. Their leadership and partnership is instrumental in our ongoing efforts to build lasting and trusting relationships with Tribes with connection to this sacred place.
Non-native Board members are selected for their track-record of community involvement, while our Native Board members are appointed as Tribal Representatives by their governmental councils. The Trust also holds seats on the Board for all Tribes with connections to the Falls, in perpetuity. Our Board’s deep, lived experience in public programming, Native issues and community building contributes to rich discussions about the possibility that this project poses for Oregon City and the wider Willamette Falls area. Restored public access to the Falls benefits many communities, breathing life into an area that has historically been overdeveloped and undernourished.
Front of the Tribal Office of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. Siletz ,OR, March 2022. Photographed by Franny Suarez.
A variety of Siletz Baskets, a decorated bow and arrow (front), and elk horn purse. Siletz, OR, March 2022. Photographed by Leslie Mason.
On the first of our two-day retreat we were hosted by our newly elected Board Chair and Siletz Tribal Representative, Robert Kentta, at the Siletz Community Center.
Our afternoon was spent reconnecting with each-other, followed by a short presentation of various artifacts of deep cultural significance to the Tribes. Some pieces shown included a variety of Haat sa (the Siletz Athabaskan term for any close-woven, bowl-shaped basket), and a Gaay-yu (a woven cradle basket) and Tvlh (a pack basket made of Hazel sticks and spruce root), both made by Bud Lane, Vice Chair of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.
Board Members Pam Knowles and Toby Patrick listening to opening remarks at Dinner reception on the first evening of the retreat. Chinook Winds, OR, March 2022. Photographed by Franny Suarez.
Following the special cultural presentation, the group toured the Siletz Reservation, including the Tribal Health Center, the Ceremonial Dance Hall and the Administrative Building. After visiting in Siletz, Board Members, Tribal Representatives and Trust Staff traveled to Lincoln City for a full day of sessions centered around envisioning a future use of space at Willamette Falls. Upon arriving in Lincoln City, attendees were hosted to a reception followed by a dinner, during which we heard from Tribal Leaders, including Siletz Chair Delores Pigsley and Vice Chair Bud Lane, and Board members about their connection to the Falls, and their hopes for the retreat.
Delvis Heath Sr., Chief of the Warm Springs Tribe and Trust Board of Directors member, addressing the gathering during Dinner reception. Chinook Winds, OR, March 2022. Photographed by Franny Suarez.
The next day of the retreat centered around coming together as a group to envision future access at Willamette Falls. We enjoyed presentations by our partner, MASS Design Group, as well as a curated activity to direct river sites to potential programming. The Board and Tribal Representatives discussed the importance of including culturally-relevant activity spaces such as basket-weaving and lamprey-cleaning stations and native plant harvesting opportunities, along with a desire to be able to walk along the bank of the Falls at water-level. We finished our sessions energized by the possibility generated by these exciting visualizations!
Rev. Marianne Allison, Vice Chair and Alice Norris, Chair Emeritus share a laugh during reception hour. Chinook Winds, OR, March 2022. Photographed by Franny Suarez.
Left to Right: Alexis Ingram, Trust Campaign Director, Davis “Yellowash” Washines, Board of Directors, Yakama Nation, Alice Norris, Chair Emeritus, Geraldene Blackgoat, MASS Design Group, Annette Kendall, Board of Directors, Rev. Marianne Allison, Vice Chair, Audie Huber, Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Lincoln City, OR | April 2022. Photographed by Franny Suarez.