The U.S. Senate advanced a bill that would provide nearly 50 houses for Columbia River tribal members. It would also require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study how many more houses are needed to compensate for the Native Americans displaced by the construction of the John Day Dam in the late 1970s.
When the Army Corps built the three Columbia River dams, starting with Bonneville in 1937, the agency flooded fishing villages where hundreds of members of the Warm Springs, Yakama, Umatilla and Nez Perce tribes lived. In November 2013, the federal government recognized that the Army Corps was supposed to replace those houses, but never did. And still hasn't.
After The Oregonian/Oregonlive reported on the living conditions at fishing camps where tribal fishing crews now live -- none have electricity or suitable bathroom facilities and many don't have access to sufficient drinking water -- Oregon legislators promised to start making good on the 80-year-old promises this year.
"Decades ago, tribal fishing families living along the Columbia River were made promises in exchange for their sacrifices," said Paul Lumley, executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, which maintains the fishing camps. "Those promises were given a real chance today. It's another step, in a series of steps taken by the Northwest Congressional delegation, to address the tribal housing crisis along the Columbia River."
So far, appropriations bills in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives that direct the Corps to plan a new village at The Dalles Dam received support from Oregon and Washington politicians. Both of those bills are waiting for hearings, after moving out of committees.
Thursday, the Water Resources Development Act became the third piece of legislation to address the problem. Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat who visited the 31 tribal fishing sites this year, included language that would compel the Army Corps to build 41 to 49 houses for tribal members around the Bonneville Dam, and plan for more houses for people who were displaced by the John Day Dam. There is not yet an accurate estimate of how many people were flooded out of their homes when the 1971 dam was built.
"We have traction to really make a difference this year but we need to keep up the pressure to get this legislation over the finish line," Merkley said. "Like I have said, no one should have to live in these conditions and it's time for action."
The bill passed through the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. It still must be approved by the full Senate and the House before becoming law.
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat, is pushing to get the same wording into the House's version of the bill that sets the Army Corps' priorities.
"I'm encouraging my colleagues in the House to move this forward," Blumenauer said. "It's a challenge in the current climate, but I won't stop fighting until the federal government walks its talk and fulfills its promises and obligations to these tribes."
-- Molly Harbarger
mharbarger@oregonian.com
503-294-5923
@MollyHarbarger