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High Country News

High Country News

A nonprofit independent magazine of unblinking journalism that shines a light on all of the complexities of the West.

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Nika Bartoo-Smith

Nika Bartoo-Smith, reporter for Underscore News + ICT, covers Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, she is an Osage and Oneida Nations descendant, with European and Indonesian heritage.

Posted inArticles

What’s next for Willamette Falls?

by Nika Bartoo-Smith June 18, 2024August 8, 2024

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde move the second largest waterfall toward public access.

A view over Iron Gate Dam outside of Hornbrook, California, in February. The reservoir’s water level has continued to fall since drawdown began in January.
Posted inMay 2024: A River Returns

Undamming the Klamath

by Nika Bartoo-Smith May 2, 2024May 2, 2024

Tribal nations are restoring the river while reclaiming and revitalizing their cultural heritage.

After nearly two centuries, the Willamette Falls Trust announced an agreement with Portland General Electric to conduct a yearlong formal site study with the end goal of creating a permanent easement for tribal nations and the public to have access to the falls.
Posted inArticles

The long road to access at Willamette Falls

by Nika Bartoo-Smith and Karina Brown June 29, 2023January 24, 2024

The second largest falls in the U.S. have been inaccessible since industrialists dammed them and lined the river with paper mills 150 years ago. Four tribes are working with PGE to plan public access.

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