Winter Solstice 2023
On the first day of the Winter Solstice, we’d like to thank each of you for all that you do to support our work: for coming to our events, bearing witness and sharing our story and, more importantly, the stories of the many communities who have been connected to the Falls since time immemorial. Today we’re moving past the longest night of the year and towards longer, brighter days—this natural transition resonates with us after such a transformative year and we are grateful to be on the journey together with you.
During this time of connection and renewal, we want to take a moment to reflect and celebrate the many successes from this year, all crucial steps towards achieving our goal of an Inter-Tribal Public Access Project at Willamette Falls.
Senator Ron Wyden honored our Tribal Leadership with a conversation about how he could support their history through the Trust as a "partner in renewal."
In June of this year, the Trust entered into a legal Agreement with Portland General Electric, enabling us to explore public access on the West side of the Falls.
Yakama Nation hosted the second annual Lamprey Celebration at Clackamette Park, which the Trust and Columbia River Inter Tribal Fish Commission helped support. Open to everyone, hundreds of people came together to learn, dance, eat, and enjoy each others company.
We were invited to join the High Line Network, an international organization offering opportunities to share and connect with other public works that seek to transform existing infrastructure into new, sustainable public access spaces.
We led a group from the Land Trust Alliance on a kayaking trip out to the Falls during their most recent Annual conference, sparking a conversation: Are Land Trusts Part of the Land Back Movement?
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we dedicated spotlights to each of our Tribal Leadership Representatives, illustrating the array of diverse backgrounds anchored to this special place.
Engineering and design consultants toured the Island in order to create a feasibility report to inform the scope of restoration.
Officially joining Native Americans in Philanthropy continues to strengthen our connections to the work we’re doing regionally and nationally.