Indigenous Connections
The Columbia River Gorge Commission begins each meeting with a treaty tribe word of the day to ground our work in the living cultures of Indigenous peoples who care for the lands and waters of the Columbia River region. A collection of these words is available here. We work with the four Columbia River treaty tribes to protect treaty rights and natural and cultural resources through our land use, climate action, and monitoring efforts.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge and honor that the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is located within the ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples who have protected these lands and waters since time immemorial.
We also honor the sovereignty and role of the four Columbia River treaty tribes in taking care of these lands and waters today—the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the Nez Perce Tribe. These bands and tribes include the Wasco, Warm Springs, Paiute, Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Kah-milt-pah, Klickitat, Klinquit, Kow-was-say-ee, Li-ay-was, Oche-chotes, Palouse, Pisquose, Se-ap-cat, Shyiks, Skinpah, Wah-lal-la, Wenatshapam, Wishxam, Yakama, and Nimiipuu peoples. We are committed to working together with tribal governments through government-to-government partnerships and people-to-people relationships.
We offer this land acknowledgment in gratitude for all those who have come before us and those cultivating respectful relationships today and into the future; in recognition of the historical and ongoing legacy of colonialism; and in commitment to work together toward a more just and equitable future in protection of our shared connection to these lands and waters.
The Columbia River Gorge Commission is committed to supporting the work of the four Columbia River treaty tribes.