12-4PM: Plankhouse Tours and Children's activities available.
2PM: Presentation begins
Historian and archaeologist Melissa Darby will present "Wapato for the People" on September 8 at 2pm in the Cathlapotle Plankhouse. Darby will explore the use of wapato throughout the world using archaeological evidence. The root of this important plant was a staple food of Native Americans who lived on the Lower Columbia and Fraser Rivers and it was a heavily traded commodity out to the coast and east to the mountains. This root has also been found in archaeological sites in the Great Basin and in sites in Europe and it is now cultivated in Asia. In addition to this presentation children's activities, and displays highlighting other First Foods of the Columbia River will be included from 12-4pm. There is a $3.00 entrance fee per vehicle visiting the Refuge. For more information contact Sarah Hill at Sarah_Hill@fws.gov or call 360-887-4106 or visit www.ridgefieldfriends.org.
This event is part of the Cathlapotle Plankhouse Second Sunday Series. The Cathlapotle Plankhouse is a full- scale replica Chinookan Plankhouse located on the Carty Unit of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge at 28908 N Main Ave., Ridgefield, WA. It interprets the village of Cathlapotle that once existed on what is now Refuge property. Lewis and Clark mention Cathlapotle in their journals and noted that there were fourteen of these houses and 900 people living in the village at the time of their encounter in 1805.