Then...

• In 1940, the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam was nearing completion and with the success of the United States' first modern marvel came the destruction and flooding of the homelands and waterways of the indigenous people of the Upper Columbia. On July 16th, 1940 the tribes of the Upper Columbia held the last Salmon Ceremony before the flooding of Kettle Falls. Their traditional fishing area for over 10,000 years. This day is now known as the Ceremony of Tears.

Now...

• Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT), a non profit from Spokane Washington acquired 6 old growth cedar logs from the territory of the Quinault Indian Nation. They then gifted these logs to the 6 communities of the Upper Columbia in the effort to reintroduce the tribal members back on the waters of their ancestors. 
• UCUT then contacted canoe maker John Zinser to recruit and teach the tribal members about the canoe making process. Each community carved their 30+ foot long cedar logs into unique hand dugout canoes.
• The plan was then to take these canoes, and have each tribe launch from the tribal homelands and journey to Kettle Falls for the first time in over 76 years.
• 76 years and 1 day after the Ceremony of Tears, the people of the Upper Columbia returned to Kettle Falls. 

United By Water

Director Statement

Derrick LaMere: "When I started production on United by Water, I wanted to document the experiences of my people (Colville) as they reintroduce themselves to our ancestral waterways on the Columbia. Every day I worked with the canoes and their makers, I became more and more inspired to share the stories of these people. After sharing the project with Upper Columbia United Tribes, I was able to dig deep and tell a portion of our history I feel is left out of the history books of the general public. With the guidance and voice of Native American Poet and Author Sherman Alexie, we as a group were able to tell the unique story of the tribes of the Upper Columbia."