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Traveling Totem Pole, Indigenous Activists Visit Eugene to Advocate for Dam Removal by Adam Duvernay Register-Guard, May 5, 2022

Tribes have been calling for the dams to be removed so the salmon populations
can survive and feed endangered orcas who rely on them for food.

An Indigenous-led nonprofit's Pacific Northwest journey is making a stop in Eugene this week to display a totem pole and exhibit native art and culture to bring attention to harm dams on the Lower Snake River cause to salmon runs.

The Spirit of the the Waters Totem Pole Journey, the latest of dozens of such cultural events over the past 20 years, is traveling through Oregon, Washington and Idaho to advocate for removing the Lower Snake River dams. The events in Eugene began with a roundtable discussion Thursday and continue Friday with a presentation on art and activism.

"This journey is about bringing attention to the interconnection of salmon, orca and a free-flowing Snake River," said Kurt Russo, executive director of Se'Si'Le, the event's nonprofit sponsor. "There's a moral obligation here, an existential threat to Indigenous lifeways. It's not just a matter of what they do for a living -- it's what living means."

Four dams on the lower Snake River -- Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite -- have been targeted for removal by some indigenous and environmental groups because of they harm salmon populations. The dams, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, are used to generate hydroelectric power and control flooding.

Tribes have been calling for the dams to be removed so the salmon populations can survive and feed endangered orcas who rely on them for food. Various tribes rely on and venerate the animals, which now face existential threats.

The events feature the display of an orca totem pole and salmon carvings created by master carver Jewell James and the House of Tears Carvers. Attendees also can see the "Whale People and Totem Pole" exhibit and an award-winning short film, which tells the story of today's environmental emergency through the figure of the orca, which depend on salmon.

The Eugene events are being held at the University of Oregon Erb Memorial Union. Friday's presentation is between noon and 1:30 p.m. Film screenings will be held at Erb Memorial Union 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The Spirit of the Waters Totem Pole Journey

The Spirit of the Waters Totem Pole Journey from the Snake River to Salish Sea in Washington is sponsored by Se'Si'Le, an intertribal nonprofit aiming to reintroduce Indigenous spiritual law into conversations about climate change and the environment.

The journey is the group's latest traveling totem pole exhibit, which began in 2002 with totem poles meant to help heal the nation after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and, later, focused on the environmental harm caused by fossil fuels.

The journey includes public events in cities and tribal communities where art and culture will be used to spark a new understanding of the county's natural heritage. The events will include ceremonial moments steeped in ancestral knowledge to present the challenges facing the region and avenues for cross-cultural collaboration on solutions.

Thursday's roundtable discussion, which included participants from indigenous communities, focused on the science that exists in traditional tribal ceremonies, Russo said. Friday's event is about art's place in environmental activism.

The journey proceeds to Astoria on Monday and Portland on Tuesday.