On June 9th the Cathlapotle Plankhouse will be hosting a Summer Celebration and Salmon Bake in partnership with OMSI. 12pm- 2pm: Special presentations in the Plankhouse will focus on NW Tribal Canoe Journeys and the Pacific Lamprey, a mysterious eel-like fish important to Native People of the Columbia River. 2pm: Free Chinookan-style salmon bake and seafood stew tastings until supplies last. Docent led Plankhouse tours, live lamprey encounters, and children's activities will be available from 12pm-4pm.
This event will highlight the relationship of Native people of the Columbia River to fish such as Pacific Lamprey, a little known eel like fish that migrates from fresh water, to the ocean, and back again. It will also serve to educate the public about the upcoming Tribal Canoe Journeys. There will be presentations focused on current efforts of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and area Tribes to protect and restore Pacific Lamprey and other important fish of the Columbia River ecosystem, and the role that Canoe Journeys play in NW Tribal cultures today. There will also be opportunities to meet live live Lamprey up close and personal, guided Plankhouse tours, and children's activities from 12-4pm. Special presentations on Lamprey conservation efforts and their importance to local Tribes, and Canoe Journeys will be from 12pm-2pm, with a FREE Chinookan style salmon bake and tasting at 2pm while supplies last.
The Cathlapotle Plankhouse is a modern Chinookan Plankhouse built to interpret the Chinookan village of Cathlapotle that once existed on what is today Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge property. At the time Lewis and Clark visited Cathlapotle, it had 14 large plankhouses and over 900 people living there. The modern Cathlapotle Plankhouse is used to provide educational programs to youth and the general public through our Lifeways, Landscapes, and Wildlife Interpretive Program. To learn more about the plankhouse visit www.ridgefieldfriends.org or contact Sarah Hill at Sarah_Hill@fws.gov or (360) 887-4106.