Gifts from Our Ancestors is a two-year program led by the Confluence Project, local artists, and educators to engage over 1,500 tribal and non-tribal students through multiple forms of artistic, musical and oral expression practiced by Native Americans along the Columbia River for generations. Central to this engagement is Celilo Falls. In the Northwest, there are few places more powerful than where Celilo Falls once thundered into the Columbia. The mighty Wy'am ("echo of falling water") offered life-sustaining salmon and was the seat of commerce and cultural exchange for thousands of Native Americans for over 10,000 years. Celilo Falls was inundated by The Dalles Dam in 1957. By engaging students, teachers, and their communities in this rich history, Gifts from Our Ancestors will help to ensure the continued educational, cultural, and ecological stewardship of the Columbia River and its tributaries.

Please contact Coordinator Connie Graham at education@confluenceproject.org or call us at 360.693.0123.

Through hands-on engagement with the cultural expressions at Celilo, and through the showcase of student creations, Gifts from Our Ancestors will empower students with a deeper sense of place, belonging, and esteem within their cultural heritage. Students will be introduced to indigenous ways of knowing while developing critical thinking skill, promoting the preservation of natural resources, oral history gathering, and sourcing art pieces with local materials.

By design, the Celilo Arts program will meet the Oregon Department of Education Benchmark Content Standards in the Arts. Explore additional education programming through Confluence in the Schools and its school projects.

Explore the Places, People and Art of the Confluence Project in the Journey Book.