Confluence Library

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.

In 2021, the Vancouver Land Bridge underwent refurbishment, which were celebrated in this recorded ceremony. At the ceremony, Confluence also dedicated a tree planted in honor of our Founding Director Jane Jacobsen, who passed away in 2020.

This guide is designed to guide you though the Confluence Story Circles.

I used to fish when I was a kid; catch trout and bring them home so they could cook them. When I was little, I saw guys go to the river with a hook, and then they’d bring back fish, and then they’d cook them right off. There was always the huckleberry time to go and stay and hunt at the same time. There was always drying of meat. That was the way it was until allotments came and treaties came, and then we had to rely on the other services that were available to provide us with some food.

In this episode, we get to hear traditional stories from Ciarra Greene (Nimiipuu/Nez Perce Tribe). Her academic background is in chemistry and environmental science.

Today on the Confluence Podcast, two members of Northwest Indigenous nations, David Lewis and Teara Farrow Ferman discuss the history of the Columbia watershed and new efforts to improve wildlife habitat and water quality

During this virtual event Ciarra Greene shared traditional Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) stories and dive into their embedded ecological practices and cultural understandings, exemplifying what has made traditional storytelling a strong force for cultural continuity over the generations.

Sarah Vowell describes the multitude of histories in the story of the transcontinental railroads, including Chinese laborers, Westward expansion, and dispossession of Native land.

Sarah Vowell describes her visit to the Confluence Bird Blind at the Sandy River Delta

As our climate changes, so do the plants that thrive in our ecosystem. Learn more about how the Sandy River Delta is using native plants to adapt with Bill Weiler, Stewardship Education Coordinator with the Sandy River Watershed Council.