Roll on Columbia: The Landscape and Culture of the Columbia River Treaty
Guest curated by Eileen Delehanty Pearkes
Roll On Columbia explores the complex legacy of the 50 year-old Columbia River Treaty. With the treaty up for possible renewal or renegotiation in the near future, the exhibition provides present-day understanding of the region’s trans-boundary watershed ecosystem, a vast landscape draining water from B.C.’s Rocky Mountains to Astoria, Oregon.
The exhibition contains historical information panels, a seldom-heard master recording of a local protest folk song by Skip Fraser and Joe Irving, artwork by Heather MacAskill (BC) and Mary Babcock (Hawaii) and various historical artifacts related to human culture in the upper Columbia Basin.
Winner of the Canadian Museum association award of excellence and funded by the Columbia Basin Trust and FortisBC, the exhibition explores the local and national controversy over a treaty that authorized four mega projects for flood control and increased hydro-power efficiencies, but also negatively impacted ecosystems and human communities without local consultation.
View the Film Treaty Talks
Eileen Delehanty Pearkes
Eileen Delehanty Pearkes explores landscape, history and the human imagination in writing, maps and visual notebooks. Her book The Geography of Memory details the unique story of the transboundary Sinixt tribe, while A River Captured: the Columbia River Treaty and Catastrophic Change looks closely at the impacts of one of North America’s most significant international water agreements. In 2017, she was chosen Cultural Ambassador for the city of Nelson, BC, reflecting her creative contributions to her community
See Also
Roll on Columbia Exhibition Story