Confluence Library

America’s relationship with history is changing and, with it, our views of public monuments. In this launch episode of Season 2 of the Confluence Podcast, writer Sarah Vowell talks about how we express our stories and values in public places, and how to find joy in the darkness.

In this article, Keri E. Iyall Smith (Cowlitz) details how, by taking cues from Indigenous Peoples who see the natural world as relatives, equal to humans, entitled to protections and thoughtful (minimal) use, it is possible to shift away from attitudes that expanded in the colonial era, which see land as a thing to be conquered and with resources to be extracted.

This year the Confluence Legacy Maker Virtual Gathering honored our elder Antone Minthorn and his decades of work to elevate Indigenous voices in public policy, education and the landscape itself.

Roberta Conner tells how her grandfather was reintroduced to his homeland and the importance of “stories about the land and how the land takes care of us.”

In this excerpt, Laura Switzler relates her experience at boardings school.

In this excerpt, Bryson Liberty talks about seeing Celilo with his grandparents and aunt, as well as the trade at Celilo.

Tanna Engdahl discusses the knowledge behind Cowlitz trading and crafting.

This is the recording of our May 6th event, Confluence Conversations: Voices of Family in Land and Sky with Emily Washines and Josiah Pinkham, who discussed finding resilience, comfort, and strength in times of challenge.

Confluence is honored to work with eight sovereign tribes from the Columbia River Basin. Each has a vast and rich history and enrolled members continue to maintain cultural, economic and environmental connections to their homelands. Here are some basic facts about each of these tribes with tribal resources to learn more.

Read here on how to weclome a Native educator in your classroom for a residency or field trip