When Lewis and Clark arrived, this region was home to many Indian tribes, each rich with its own culture and traditions. The lives of the Indian people were not separate from their natural environment; there were no distinctions between the land and its inhabitants. Throughout this region, respect for the land was reflected in the wise use of resources. There was no waste - the use of everything from homes to clothing to food was carefully considered. Social, political and economic systems, and spiritual and cultural practices were as diverse as the Indian communities that thrived and grew in concert with the natural environment of the Pacific Northwest.

Hundreds of villages and fishing sites flourished along the Columbia River Gorge and the surrounding basin. The river and its tremendous salmon runs were central to economies and cultures whose influences were felt over a wide area. The Columbia River was an essential avenue of transportation - canoes could journey hundreds of miles up and down the river.

Westward expansion significantly altered life in the Columbia River Basin. Yet the tribes today fight to preserve their culture, protect sacred sites from development, develop economic stability and maintain political sovereignty. Tribes still have a deep and abiding relationship with the Columbia River, even though few villages remain, and many tribal members have been relocated to inland reservations. It is through understanding these long-held connections to the river and the land that others will come to appreciate the essential role played by tribal people in aiding the newcomers from the east, as well as the tribes' vast contributions to life in this region.

Learn about the Pacific Northwest Indian nations rich in tradition, culture and history. Visit the tribal museums at the Warm Springs, Umatilla and Yakama reservations, and the region's many heritage museums and art galleries. Discover the unique story of each tribe. At The Warm Springs Museum, learn about Celilo Village and Falls, a salmon fishery and gathering place where commerce was conducted on a scale found nowhere else in the region until the area was flooded by the construction of dams in the 1950s. At Tamstslikt Cultural Institute, learn about a horse culture where a family's herd could number in the thousands. See an 800-year-old dugout canoe at the Ilwaco Heritage Museum. Through an understanding of the environment and a true appreciation for the gifts it provides, the indigenous Indian people continue to play a key role in shaping the Pacific Northwest we treasure today.