Overview of the Panel
I got a chance to stop by tonight’s Environmental Studies Symposium scholarly panel. Titled “Controlling the Colombia River Gorge: A Religious and Political History of the Colombia River,” the four panelists gave the audience an hour and a half of different perspectives in viewing the history of how the Colombia River Gorge came to be what it is today. For the religious/artistic panelists, focus was on how artists attracted the gorge and nature religion and its role in shaping the Pacific Northwest’s image of a nature-lover’s paradise, yet the politics side focused on how case-studies of various X vs. X legal cases that shaped the policies surrounding the gorge’s management and ownership.
Reflections
As a lover of outdoor recreation, I know firsthand how transformative experiences in the outdoors can be to anyone. Indeed, until my first summer interning with the Forest Service on a trail crew, I myself had little sense of identity or place in the world (compared to today). Understandably, the artistic and religious aspects of this panel was rather repetitive to me, for I have not only practiced what the panelists called “nature religion,” but I have also “converted” people to the outdoors. So particularily interesting to me was this latter topic about politics. I did not realize how different the Colombia, and indeed almost every other river in North America, is today compared to its historic characteristics. I enjoyed hearing about the different legal cases that changed the physical features and the legal ownership of the gorge and vast resources. I also found it fascinating that a seemingly beautiful natural waterfall was sacrificed to hydro-power production and dam construction. The panelists also closed it off quite well by informing that a major court decision on a long-debated case is to be made next week, leaving the audience with something to follow up with if interested. Overall, it was a very enjoyable panel and helped me get my interdisciplinary gears running in my head.