OREGON VOICES

Gertrude Glutsch Jensen

Gertrude Glutsch Jensen dedicated much of her adult life to conservation efforts in the Columbia River Gorge through organizations such as the Portland Women's Forum and the Oregon Columbia River Gorge Commission. She was the first chairwoman of the Commission and served from 1953 to 1969. Jensen was interviewed by Roberta Watts on December 7, 1977, and January 17, 1978. Although most of Jensen's work was based in conservation, this short selection demonstrates her awareness of Native rights along the Columbia River. A complete transcript is archived at the Oregon Historical Society.
I WENT DOWN TO Washington [D.C.] and on the way over to Representative [Homer D.] Angell's office, I noticed these Indians sitting in the office of the congressman from Washington. I went in and asked them, "Are you from Celilo?" They said, "Yes, we are back here to be in the Eisenhower Inaugural Parade." I told them I thought it was terrible that this dam was going to cover up Celilo Falls and that I wanted to help. We became great friends, Chief Alex Saluskin [Yakama]. There was about four or five of them. I had them come up to New York and they were in the pulpit there with this minister from the White Temple. Afterwards they had a reception for them in the parlors there.... I couldn't do anything for the Indians. They couldn't do anything for the Indians because it was already passed by Congress to build that dam up there. Although it was supposed to be up above the falls, the [Corps of] Engineers decided to build it down further, and that inundated the falls. The people in New York at that church service wanted so much to help. They were so good to the Indian chiefs. I got a car, a limousine with a chauffeur, to pick them up to bring them to my hotel, and I took them all over New York City on a sight-seeing trip.	1
When the dam was built, I was asked to ride in the parade when it was dedicated. After the parade, I took a taxi up to Celilo Village. It cost me about ten dollars for the taxi fare. I went to see Chief Tommy Thompson, who grieved. They all grieved so on losing their ancestral fishing grounds, which was part of their religion and was theirs by treaty forever, by treaty of 1865 [1855], I think. It was always to be theirs.	2
Dressed formally in ceremonial regalia, Maggie Jim and her daughters watch as the Columbia River flows back onto itself, inundating its falls and rapids, to create Lake Celilo on March 10, 1957. Courtesy of Maryhill Museum of Art

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