We started our day off with a little hike to punchbowl where we explored the gorge together and had some time for individual reflection a nd meditation. Then following a quick trip to shower , we met with the former mayor of Mosier, OR, Arlene Burns who graciously presented her story . Mosier is a small town, with a population of about 500 people along the Columbia River popular for wind surfing and beautiful wild flowers . Arlene Burns was a river guide in many locations before settling in Oregon and becoming a volunteer mayor for 10 years where she greatly impacted not only the small town of Mosier , but Oregon, and nearby communities as well. Arlene was mayor at the time of the June 3rd , 2016, crude oil train derailment. Thankfully this accident occurred on a non windy day, but the fire and oil spill still have lasting impacts on the community and river. The near by wastewater treatment plant was able to catch about 25,000 gallons of the oil spill saving most of it from entering the Columbia River and severely impacting the salmon and fish populations. The tracks are very close to the town’s elementary school and town so they evacuated the children from the town from their parents for multiple hours due to the highway closure which also made it difficult for emergency responders to help. The nearby native tribes came to support the town and conducted a ceremony down by the river following the accident. The Columbia River Gorge is a large thorough fare for oil train transportation making many of the surrounding towns susceptible to these accidents in the future.
Arlene ended her presentation with the motto of Mosier: “small enough to make a difference.” I think this is so important to remember especially today where power and greed are huge political driving forces but we, as the young generation, do have a voice. We can help amplify the voices of those who need to be heard, whose stories need to be shared to preserve the history. Also, as Arlene stated, we can also find advocates who have influence and power who can amplify our voices as w ell . However, to create change and progress we need to provide the facts and find a way to tell the story without anger and frustration. After speaking with the current Mayor of Mosier and driving down to the derailment site, we learned how the town is planning to use federal grant money on a few projects such as improving the wastewater
treatment plant, providing restrooms for more bike traffic , and a net zero fire station and community center.
To end the day we had dinner with and listened to the stories and insights of the Yakama Tribe. They graciously welcomed us into their village on the hill of the Columbia River . To the Yakama tribe food, land and community are everything. Their ancestors chose homelessness and starvation over being relocated to reservations because of their strength and commitment to their land and history along the river. The native tribes are greatly impacted by “green” energy installed on their land including solar, wind and hydro-energy sources. The dam has significantly decreased the salmon population in the Columbia River. After hearing their perspective and side of the story I now realize how proposed sustainable energy sources aren’t sustainable for everyone. The large solar panels are destroying the land the tribes rely on for roots and food to feed their communities. As someone who is currently studying civil and environmental engineering, listening to the stories really opened my eyes as renewable energy is a major topic discussed in university, but we don’t always discuss all of the major implications of installing them. We learned so much from their insights and want to help educate others by sharing their stories and using our platform to amplify their voices. Please treat the earth as you would treat your own mother.
Graciously,
Morgan