When the Grand Coulee Dam was completed in 1942, it created Lake Reservoir, a 130-mile lake that flooded upstream lands and valuable fishing sites. What would this mean for the Spokane Tribe that lived along the river? What represents justice in the development of the river’s resources?
This short retrospective film from 2016 recounts the sense of cultural and economic loss felt by the Spokane, and their enduring anger at a lack of compensation for these damages.
Note: In 2019, subsequent to the film, Congress finally passed a law authorizing compensation to the Spokane, including payments of $6 million per year for ten years, followed by annual payments of $8 million per year.
Citation:
“Grand Coulee and the Forgotten Tribe.” YouTube video, 10:52. Posted by “Upper Columbia Tribe (UCUT),” October 19, 2016. https://youtu.be/WKxbxg2LfCo.
Library Item date:
2016