Summary

Native River satisfies our curiosity to know what the mighty Columbia River once looked like when it ran wild and free. Featuring a wealth of illustrations, maps, and photographs, many never before published, this finely crafted book focuses on the 350-mile reach of the middle Columbia River -- from Priest Rapids in south-central Washington to the U.S.-Canadian border. Layman gives us the unique opportunity of picturing the great river, and man's relationship to it, prior to the building of seven major dams that now harness the mid-Columbia's power and obscure its former features under reservoirs.The author affords each segment of this waterway its own rich visual documentation. This forms a backdrop to compelling river stories, told in a variety of perspectives and voices. Included are Native American legends and lore, the cryptic messages of ancient rock art, accounts of white explorers and immigrants, and Layman's own insightful observations. In his research, he forged a special, cooperative relationship with the indigenous peoples who still call the Columbia River valley their home. The artful blending of geological, cultural, and historical storytelling in Native River unifies the reader's experience of the untamed Columbia.