Our site at tumwata/Willamette Falls is full of opportunity and promise. There is much work to be done, but we look forward to bringing this vision to life.
A master plan for the future of tumwata village
In addition to the environmental restoration we are undertaking to heal the land, we have been working on several potential concepts for the site. These are all conceptual at this point, but they represent some of the potential opportunities we envision at tumwata village.
The concepts that we are considering for tumwata village will all be informed and inspired by many of the same factors that drove our acquisition of the Willamette Falls site, including:
- Cultural Connection: This property will facilitate the potential for land-based access to the falls for fishing and ceremonial practices. Connecting the people of the falls to the falls themselves is priceless.
- Overall Cultural Context: The acquisition of this property ensures the Grand Ronde Tribe has the opportunity to provide the cultural context of the falls’ importance to all its neighbors and partners.
- Cultural Preservation: tumwata/Willamette Falls is part of the Tribe’s ancestral homelands. This purchase allowed us to reclaim a culturally important part of those homelands.
- Cultural Awareness: By acquiring the site, the Grand Ronde Tribe can tell the Tribe’s history and connection to the falls.
- Access: The acquisition assures that tribal members will always be able to access tumwata/Willamette Falls for cultural purposes.
- Rehabilitation: The Clackamas and Clowwewalla people were the year-round residents at the falls and responsible for its management. Ownership of this property allows the Tribe to return to our role as stewards of these lands as we work on rehabilitating the site and rebuilding this special piece of the Tribe’s homelands.
- Development: Parts of this property will be redeveloped with thoughtful new development, though much rehabilitation needs to occur before new projects can be implemented.
Learn more about our vision for the property.