<
https://www.propublica.org/article/biden-report-columbia-river-dams-northwest-tribes>
"The Biden administration released a report last week acknowledging “the
historic, ongoing, and cumulative damage and injustices” that Columbia River
dam construction caused Northwest tribal nations starting in the 20th century,
including decimation of the salmon runs that Indigenous people were entitled to
by government treaty.
Across 73 pages, the report from the U.S. Department of the Interior concludes
“the government afforded little, if any, consideration to the devastation the
dams would bring to Tribal communities, including to their cultures, sacred
sites, economies, and homes.”
But here’s what’s not in the report: The injuries to Native people were not
just an unforeseen byproduct of federal dam building. They were, in fact, taken
into account at the time. And federal leaders considered that damage a good
thing.
In government documents from the 1940s and 1950s, obtained by
Oregon Public
Broadcasting and
ProPublica, government officials openly discussed what they
called “the Indian problem” on the Columbia River, referring to the tribes’
fisheries that were protected under federal treaties. At times, they
characterized the destruction of the last major tribal fishery as a benefit
that dam construction would bring.
The archival government records were released to Columbia River treaty tribes
several years ago under the
Freedom of Information Act. They were first made
public by
OPB and
ProPublica in March and April episodes of the podcast
“Salmon Wars.”
The documents reveal that the government’s 1950s era of dam building on the
Columbia was marked not by a failure to consider tribal impacts, but rather by
a well-informed and intentional disregard for Native people."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
