What was the effect of the construction of Grand Coulee Dam on the health and lifestyles of the original inhabitants of this area?

Essay by Cassy James and Hank Wilson

Based on information from the Colville Tribal Museum in Coulee Dam, Washington and an interview with Tom Wilson

Where the dam sits right now use to be the tribal fishing area. The area was formed by a glacier and flood that made the landforms.

Nespelem, the town, was formed for Native Americans to live when they were moved by the government of the United States to a reservation. We, the Native Americans, can still use our tribal culture like hunting, fishing, etc. The street names are named after local county's, trees, and some old local areas, like Owhi Lake, Desautel, and Okanogan. The Colville Tribe is named after a lieutenant who never saw the area.

Before the dam was built the people living here ate fish, salmon, roots, berries, deer meat, grouse, and elk. The salmon could be eaten fresh or dried and stored for future use through winter months.

Salmon was the main diet food which they fished for. For roots and berries, the people picked them or dug them from the ground. For deer meat, grouse, and elk, they hunt it.

The people lived in winter homes set next to the main rivers. Sandy banks were used for digging pit houses into the ground. They did this to get below the ground for warmth before winter came.

When summer came it would be hot so the people made air conditioning. For air to cool their homes, they made reed mat lodges. If it rained, the mats would swell up to keep the inside dry and when the sun dried the mats, the reeds would shrink and let air go through.

Then the people's health was good because they didn't lose any of their foods.

During the construction of the dam, the people lost many gathering places and hunting abilities. They weren't able to obtain many of these traditional foods. They traded for guns, knives, food, cooking utensils, and other items for convenience.

The people were still in good health.

After the completion of the dam, the people lost all the traditional foods that they had used before or ate before. They lost the salmon because of the dam. They couldn't get a ladder built or anything. They were upset because they know the salmon would never be replaced.

They could barely get any of their foods, like fishing , picking berries, hunting, and digging roots. They traded stuff for new things, for their homes. They started discovering canvas or other materials for their homes. They traded for the new stuff.

The grandparents remember farming, raising cattle, working with our culture, and how hard it was trading and gambling. Nespelem has grown and changed because the dam gives us a whole lot of electricity. We have more houses, more electric appliances, cars, trucks, vans, more job opportunities, medical care, our own stores, own land, own houses, radios, telephones, televisions, VCRs, shoes, clothes, and household items.

The people's health was bad. Now most of the people have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and onset diabetes because of the new foods brought to them. The Native Americans lost lots of rights, such as fishing. Their lives changed by living differently with more people and not a whole lot of privacy. Long time ago, we used our hands and feet; now there are computers, and more appliances.

They never had these health problems until about twenty years after the dam was in operation.

People move here to Nespelem now to get a job, education, get their families in a good start, live cheaper than most areas for bills, to be with family or relatives, and to see a lot more Native culture training.

Back to menu Thanks to the Colville Museum and Tom Wilson for helping us with this research.