"THE DAMS ARE COMING DOWN"

THE 2012 Native American Holy Ghost Conference exploded with spiritual significance during the campmeeting on the ancient site of the Celilo Indian Village on the banks of the Columbia River. I cannot describe the incredible spiritual significances this place holds in the plans and purposes of the Creator and for the destiny of North American and its inhabitants. In the early stages of planning and while searching for a suitable location to hold the campmeeting our team did not realize the spiritual significance of what YHWH God had planned in His mind and heart for this place. Our team of Circuit Riding Preacher brothers did not know the ancient historical significances of the Celilo Village but we agreed that the Great Spirit would be pleased if we held our campmeeting at this location. We came to learn that Celilo Village is one of the oldest continually inhabited villages in North America. The Celilo Tribe has lived and fished at the site of Celilo Falls continually for thousands of years. Celilo Falls developed into the Wall Street of the western tribes, when tribes would annually come to harvest during the salmon runs, and Celilo Falls eventually developed into an important trade center, and cultural polinization center. The Chief of the Celilo Tribe was the man in charge of administering order and directing different tribal groups and individuals as to the exact location where they could fish. He was a very important figure in the fishing societies and cultures of the area. He maintained peace and order, and it is incredible to think that no wars or disorder was reported in the area. The Celilo tribe flourished and were a prosperous people, unlike the village gripped by poverty that exhists there today. Think about this, prior to the arrival of the White Man, there were no hospitals, no prisons, no insane asylums, no schools, no welfare checks, no poverty, no police force, only men and animals living in harmony with nature. One of the tribal elders several generations ago had a vision that a snake would crawl across the land, a monster would come up the river, and a wall would be built that would be dangerous for animals to cross to get to the river. Modern tribal members interpret the vision; the snake is the railroads crossing the land , the river monster is modern tug boats and barges on the river, and the Interstate highway blocking animals from the river is the wall. Their interpretation may be accurate but I believe it has a spiritual interpretation; demonic entities sent to destroying the people and their way of life since the arrival of the White Man. The pythons grip of the serpant has encircled the people with poverty and oppression; the monster in the river is the series of dams that has changed the flow of the river and robbed the people of their way of life; and the wall of prejudice and injustice erected that has isolated the people. During the era of the Bonniville Administration the Columbia River became the source of power generation for the Pacific Northwest; power being generated from numerous dams built on the Columbia River system disrupting the natural flow of water and altering the sensitive eco system thereof. The dammed up river developed into intense controversy between the Tribes and the Corps of Engineer who administer the river for the federal government, the dams disrupting the salmon runs and natural life cycles. During the 1950s the Dalles Dam was constructed completely covering Celilo Falls, flooding Celilo Village and forever altering the world of the Celilo people. The federal government negotiated an agreement to build the dam with three major tribes in the area, the Yakima, the Warm Springs, and the Nez Perces; however, none of the three live on the river. The negotiations completely left out the Celilo Tribal leaders. The three tribes agreed to a monetary settlement of twenty seven million dollars for damages to the tribes for the right to construct the massive dam; in addition, the Corps agreed to build a new housing area for the Celilo people who were being displaced by flooding the river. The settlement was divided between the tribes and per capita payments made to the people. When Celilo Tribal leaders received settlement checks they refused to accept them, and eventually tore them up, saying, "These do not mean anything to us." The Corp took the small river band and moved them across the highway into small barrack type houses with uninsulated plywood walls. The people lived without sewer or electricity for the next decade; their livelihood taken away and their way of life forever altered. Without the traditional salmon economy the tribal people languished and fell into a life of government subsistence, food was hard to come by. For fifty years the people waited in their shanties for the promised houses to be built. The elders and old people who had waited so long for the promises to be fulfilled began to die off. This once proud independent people had been reduced to nothing. Can you imagine, twenty seven million dollars for a way of life? John Stossel should take this story and stuff it in his pompous pipe, and report about who really is being ripped off. The Celilo people were not asking for a handout, they just wanted to live their traditional way of life. They were not asking for a life in the White Man's world, just the freedom to catch fish in their traditional ways. Today Celilo Falls lies buried beneath millions of cubic feet of water. The story of the Celilo people unfolded during the campmeeting and the Holy Spirit moved upon us to pray for the "Healing of the Land and river. Prior to the campmeeting a prophet had a vision of an angle named Columbia straddling the Columbia river with a foot on the Washington side and a foot at Celilo Park .We worshipped, preached, and prayed for the healing of the land. The Holy Spirit led us to have communion with the land and river, to cast salt into the river and to blow four blasts on the shofar. This powerful ministry took place without any visual confirmation other than a few unusual clouds and a powerful presance of God. However, while returning from a ministry trip to Turner Oregon I decided to stop by Celilo Park. My babies and I took a stroll down to the rivers edge; to my amazement the water was crystal clear and the mossy scum that had covered the rocks was totally gone. This was a sign and wonder to those who had seen the river before the healing service. This gave us confidence that the angel Columbia had also released its promised blessing of revival in the Northwest. One last thing, in the heart and mind of God and His justice; one day He will bring those dams down and the salmon will return, just like Jesus said, "Not one stone will remain upon another." Praise the Lord Jesus!!!