Sacajawea Update

December 8, 2009

Confluence Project prepares to enter the construction phase at Sacajawea. Due to seasonal conditions, construction has been rescheduled to occur at the beginning of March 2010. While waiting to break ground on the site, John Mendoza of Hell's Canyon Rock is prefabricating the stone segments for the seven themed Story Circles. Confluence anticipates dedicating the site at some point in April.

Once estimated as a multi-million-dollar project, Sacajawea now fits a reevaluated budget of less than $1 million. Although costs have been cut, the heart of the project still retains Maya Lin's vision for this site. Seven basalt Story Circles use intricate illustrations and text to describe these themes: the seasonal circle; the salmon circle; the welcome circle; the longhouse/tribal circle; the trade goods circle; the story-of-the-river circle; and the myth-of-the-coyote circle.

Years of research and collaboration have gone into the chosen materials, text and imagery to be etched into each of these seven installations. Previous material choices for the circles included a range from plastic composites to cast concrete or even bronze. Despite the delicate and precise process necessary to sandblast the text and images into basalt rock, the stone was chosen for its abundance and indigenous quality. Confluence Project teamed up with illustrators Raphael Montoliu of Lakeport, California and Lynn Kitagawa of Portland, Oregon, to design beautiful illustrations, specially rendered to accommodate the sandblasting process. Such attention and care for the materials show a deeply rooted respect for the site's rich cultural history, unique location and profound beauty.

Check back for further updates about Sacajawea.