Historic Celilo Falls Photo Collection Gifted to CRITFC by Matheny Family
Dawn Matheny, daughter of the late photographer Raymond Matheny, reminisces about her father’s assignment turned passion project photos of Celilo Falls. The photo collection was meticulously documented, organized and later printed as hardback bound books. Three of the volumes were gifted to CRITFC along with more than 250 slides preserved by the Matheny family.
From Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission:
The Dalles, Ore. Aug. 12, 2024 — In 1951, US Fish & Wildlife employee Raymond Matheny was given the assignment of documenting the Indian fishery at Celilo Falls. Over the following two years, Matheny took hundreds of photos of the tribal fishers, carefully documenting names, locations, and activities of the day-to-day reality of life at the falls.
“We first found out about this collection in 2007, shortly after the Celilo Legacy fiftieth anniversary commemoration of the inundation of Celilo Falls,” said Jeremy FiveCrows, CRITFC Communications Director. “Raymond Matheny saw the news stories about the large tribal gathering to remember the falls and contacted CRITFC offering to share digital scans of his collection.”
Raymond Matheny’s photos of Celilo Falls in the early 50’s were treasured by his children and family. It was his wish, his children said, that the collection be gifted to the tribes the photos depicted. The inundation of the falls in 1957 is mourned to this day by those who still live in those ancestral and treaty-protected fishing grounds. The above slide is one of more than 250 slides gifted to CRITFC by the Matheny family.
On July 10, 73 years after the images were taken, Raymond Matheny’s family traveled to Portland to present the treasured collection of original slides and a 3-part bound book series of the images to CRITFC for safekeeping.
Leading the effort was Raymond’s son Theo, who over the course of several years, had carefully scanned each slide in a high-resolution scanner to get the most detail from the slides as possible and captured the notes and captions his father had written on each slide. He was driven by the importance of honoring what he believed were his parents’ wishes to ensure these images found their way to the tribes they depicted.
Joining Theo was his wife Ellen and his sister Dawn Matheny, who had traveled from southern California be a part of the transfer. Dawn was born in The Dalles, OR during the time her father was stationed there for the photography assignment.
Raymond Matheny, who worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, photographed the daily lives of the Indigenous fishers at Celilo Falls. His work not only captures the beauty and power of the falls but also the profound cultural significance and community life centered around them. Raymond, according to his daughter Dawn, was an outspoken critic of the dams that eventually inundated Celilo Village, displacing the Indigenous communities and altering the landscape irrevocably.
CRITFC Executive Director Aja DeCoteau expressed deep gratitude for the gift. She spoke of showing the pre-release copy of the book series at the May CRITFC commission meeting and the profound impact the photos had on tribal commissioners and elders. “The interest and excitement were incredible,” DeCoteau shared. “Seeing themselves or their relatives in these photos spurred memories and emotions, allowing them to relive those precious moments and share their stories.”
Gene Maltzeff, the son of one of Raymond’s federal co-workers and a subject in several of the photographs, also attended the ceremony. He add personal anecdotes about his time spent at Celilo Falls with his father. Maltzeff described the falls as the “eighth wonder of the world,” and the “lungs of the Columbia River,” emphasizing the loss felt by many when the area was flooded.
The Matheny family’s gift is a significant addition to CRITFC’s archives, offering a rare glimpse into a way of life that was profoundly altered by the dam’s construction. These photos, now preserved for future generations, serve as a historical record of obstacles the tribes have worked to overcome and thrive in spite of.
FiveCrows noted the unique value of Matheny’s work. “Raymond saw the fishers as people, not just as part of the scenery. He interacted with them, got their names, and took detailed notes, making these photos incredibly special.”
Attending the gifting ceremony (l to r): Tami Wilkerson, Head Librarian of CRITFC’s Columbia Basin Fish & Wildlife Library, where the slides will be kept; Anna Allen, CRITFC; Ellen Matheny; Jeremy FiveCrows, CRITFC; Theo Matheny; Dawn Matheny, Gene Maltzeff; Aja DeCoteau, CRITFC; Andrea Tulee, CRITFC; and Donella Miller, CRITFC.
Reflecting on the importance of the collection, Donella Miller, CRITFC’s Fishery Science Manager, said, “It means so much to us as tribal members to see how our ancestors lived. These photos are a connection to our past, and they help us remember and honor those who came before us. Many of them never left and continue to live this way to this day.”
Miller also noted the inclusion of other fishing sites near Celilo Village. She said, “I appreciated the books also included other surrounding fishing areas such as Spearfish and Big Rapids. Pictures of those sites are far less common than Celilo.”
Raymond Matheny’s 1952 article, shared by the Matheny family with the digital photos in 2007, vividly described the significance of the Celilo Falls fishery, detailing the traditional fishing methods used by the tribes and still used by fishers today: “They use nets sewn around an iron ring attached to a wooden or aluminum pole of varying length. Fishing is done from wooden platforms weighted down with rocks and natural dipping places or rocky ledges.”
CRITFC’s Executive Director, Aja DeCoteau, holds up the signed copy of volume one of the Matheny Celilo Falls photo collection book. the inscription, by Theo Matheny, reads “To the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, We are pleased to donate the 3 volumes of this photo book, the original slides used for the book and all digital images. Signed on behalf of the Matheny Family. Theodore Matheny, July 10, 2024.”
Raymond also expressed the cultural and economic impact of the fishery: “The Indians fish by themselves or frequently in companies, dividing the money resulting from the fish sold. It is a ruling set up and enforced by the various tribal councils that the Indian who is fishing must wear a safety rope around his waist. Many Indian fishermen have drowned at Celilo by slipping into the swiftly flowing Columbia River.”
Raymond’s attention to detail regarding the fishery and tribal life were reflected in the notes he kept for each photo, many of which he knew by name. His dedication to documenting this historically significant period before the inundation of the falls has left the tribal fishers and their descendants with an invaluable gift. Despite the fact that the falls disappeared nearly three-quarters of a century ago, it is still an emotional subject, particularly for those elders who were on the riverbanks that day. The somber historical event was foreshadowed in Raymond’s writing as well. His relationship with the falls and its community members is illustrated in his article, shared with CRITFC by his family.
Reflecting on the impending changes three years before the inundation, he wrote, “The construction of The Dalles Dam will eventually flood all the present fishing sites. These historic grounds will be covered by 75-80 feet of backwater from another one of the ‘White Man’s’ dams.”
The slide collection will be securely stored at CRITFC’s Columbia Basin Fish & Wildlife Library. After it is fully cataloged, the library plans to make a searchable database of the images available for viewing on its website. The images will be used to help educate current and future generations about life at Celilo Falls.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of a Pendleton blanket and other gifts to the Matheny family, symbolizing the deep appreciation and respect from CRITFC and the tribes.
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