EUGENE–A new documentary by two Eugene filmmakers, "Echo of Water Against Rocks: Remembering The Last Days of Celilo Falls," will premiere on Friday, May 12, at the University of Oregon as part of a performance and lecture by Shoshone-Bannock playwright and storyteller Ed Edmo on the impact that flooding of the ancient Columbia River fishing grounds had on the region’s native peoples.

The free UO Museum of Natural History program is set for 7 p.m. in Room 110 of the Knight Law Center, 1515 Agate St.

Filmmakers Ian McCluskey and Steve Mital met as graduate students in a UO documentary video production class in 1999, discovering they shared an interest in the environment, American rivers and the history of the American West.

McCluskey, a seventh-generation Oregonian, had been intrigued as a child by the haunting stories of the Columbia River’s lost falls near what appears to be an ordinary rest stop on the interstate, 90 miles east of Portland.

"The flooding of Celilo changed people personally and collectively," he says. "Two generations later, that memory still resonates, like the echo of water against rocks."

McCluskey and Mital interviewed eye-witnesses to the flooding–including Edmo–as well as the children of Celilo fishing families and local residents. They combined these first-person accounts with rare historic footage to make a 13-minute video that will be shown after Edmo’s presentation of "Celilo Falls: A Place, A Memory."

Visitors will have a chance to talk to Edmo and the filmmakers during a reception in the lobby of the Museum of Natural History, 1680 E. 15th Ave., following the premiere and the performance. Edmo’s appearance is made possible by the Oregon Council for the Humanities, the Portland affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

As a boy growing up at Celilo Falls on the Washington side of the Columbia River, Edmo saw the waters of The Dalles Dam cover Celilo’s ancient fishing grounds in 1957. The falls had been a gathering place for Northwest native peoples for more than 10,000 years. Edmo created a performance piece that is part story, part theater and part lecture based on memories of those events.

Illness forced Edmo to reschedule his original lecture date in March, but the delay uncovered a lucky connection: McCluskey and Mital had recently completed their documentary on Celilo Falls–partly inspired by Edmo’s stories.

"After this showing," Mital says, "we hope to air the documentary through Oregon Public Broadcasting, and to enter it in some film festivals. We hope to find an organization to distribute the video, and donate the proceeds to a fund to support Celilo Village’s annual fall salmon feast. We think any money generated should go to Celilo."

Edmo, who lives in Portland, is a frequent lecturer on Northwest tribal culture. His prize-winning play, "Through Coyote’s Eyes: A Visit with Ed Edmo," toured in Syria, India and Jordan. He narrates "Children of the Raven" for the Eugene Ballet Company at traveling shows throughout the region. His play, "Bridge of the Gods," had its premiere in Portland in 1998.

Mital, 30, is working on two master’s degrees at the University of Oregon, in environmental studies and in community and regional planning. He has worked as a river guide on the Colorado. His love for the rivers of the American West has contributed to his interest in using film as an outreach tool for social justice and environmental issues.

McCluskey, 27, is a native Oregonian and a graduate student in the creative nonfiction program at the UO School of Journalism and Communication. He has written about the West for several regional and national magazines. He earned his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Colorado College and his master’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Montana.

The UO Museum of Natural History and its gift store are open six days a week, from noon to
5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Suggested admission to the exhibits is $2. Current UO students and museum members are admitted free.

For information, browse the museum web site at http://natural-history.uoregon.edu, send e-mail to mnh@oregon.uoregon.edu or call (541) 346-3024.

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