Native River: The Columbia Remembered

by William D. Layman

In images and narratives, Native River recreates a vision of the mighty Columbia River as it appeared when it ran wild and free. Featuring a wealth of illustrations, maps, and photographs, many never before published, this finely crafted book focuses on the 350-mile reach of the middle Columbia River--from Priest Rapids in south-central Washington to the U.S.-Canadian border. Layman gives us the unique opportunity of picturing the great river, and humankind's relationship to it, prior to the building of seven major dams that now harness the Columbia's power and obscure its former features under reservoirs. The author affords each segment of this waterway its own unique rich visual documentation. This forms a backdrop to compelling river stories, told in a variety of perspectives and voices. Included are Native American legends and lore, the cryptic messages of ancient rock art, accounts of white explorers and immigrants, and Layman's own insightful observations. In his research, Layman forged a special, cooperative relationship with the indigenous peoples who still call the Columbia River valley their home. The artful blending of geological, cultural, and historical story telling in Native River unifies the reader's experience of the untamed Columbia.

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Charlie Petters]

William D. Layman’s book, “Native River The Columbia Remembered,” is a Columbia River lover’s delight. It has been said that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and this book proves it. There are well over 100 photographs of the Columbia River, from Priest Rapids to the U.S. Canadian Border. These are pictures taken mostly before 1900, meaning what you see in the photographs can no longer be seen because of the 11 dams on the Columbia River from the Pacific Ocean to the Canadian Border. There is a few paragraphs to describe each picture, so one does not have to wonder what they are looking at. What a magnificent river the Columbia River was before it was turned into what it is today. It is no longer the free flowing, might river it was a little over 100 years ago.

The author goes into great detail about the river, to use Native Peoples description of the river before the dams were built, and their stories about the river. He writes about the many places where Petroglyphs were carved into the canyon walls. He writes about the rover being dynamited in many places, to remove rock impediments to paddlewheel boats traversing the river. He writes about the lives of the Native Peoples that lived and thrive along that river, and the religious significance of those places to them. The Native Peoples took care of the river and never abused it, making sure that the Salmon would continue to run the full length of the river well into the indefinite future.

I highly recommend this book for its correct and insightful historical and geological content. It is well worth reading and rereading, about the Pacific Northwest’s largest river