Umatilla Today and Tomorrow

  Agriculture, war, and dam building have intermittently stimulated the community's economy, bringing new groups and changing ways of life to Umatilla. In addition to Umatilla's 3,000 residents, many others have interests in its fate, including the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, nearby towns, legislators, politicians, and environmentalists. As Jodi LaCoursiere of the Umatilla Museum and Historical Foundation noted, Umatilla is truly a place of "blended boundaries."

   This section briefly outlines some of the many challenges faced by Umatilla's residents and neighbors as they head into the twenty-first century. In addition, "Umatilla Voices" reflect the way things once were, the way they are today, and residents' and neighbors' hopes and concerns for the future.

Top left. The Umatilla River and fish house, facing east. Top right. Margaret D'Estrella lived on this property as a child. Note the flood irrigation system in the field and grain towers in the distance. Above. The Umatilla Sage Riders can't compete with the Pendleton Roundup, but the small rodeo is still an important community affair. Photos by Donna Sinclair, 1999

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