The River Remains

This short film from Anna Lueck and Mosquito Fleet shines a light on the history of industrialization, disconnection, and colonization that continues to haunt the Willamette River where it flows through the lands of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, Chinook, and many other tribes – colonially known as Portland, Oregon. The film also tells the story of the local legacy of resistance, and how we can continue to come together to protect the water and each other.

Before colonization, the Willamette was a healthy ecosystem of braided rivers that supported abundant wildlife and community. Then the settler state, alongside fossil fuels, timber, shipbuilding, and other industries, rendered the Portland stretch of the river a heavily-polluted superfund site. Ongoing destruction of the river goes hand-in-hand with harm done to the people, particularly to Indigenous and immigrant communities, who have long continued to resist.

When confronting this ongoing, painful history, it is a powerful act of resistance to reconnect with the water and with each other. At this moment in history we are faced with a choice. We could continue the old path of industrial expansion and harm, or we could work together to create a new legacy of re-connection, resilience, and healing.

This video series was made possible by the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission (MHCRC) Community Technology Grant program.