For a marker to be coded as multicultural, there simply had to be a mention of nonwhite peoples, which could include neutral, derogatory or affirmative portrayals. For instance, the Cascade Locks marker mentions Native peoples fishing in the area. “For Centuries Native Americans have fished at the great Cascades of the Columbia River. Today, Native Americans of the Yakima, Umatilla, Warm Springs and Nez Perce tribes have in-lieu fishing rights at Cascade Locks.” This qualifies as multicultural because while it mentions Native resource use, the text fails to account for why they now have “in-lieu fishing rights.” The marker does not wrestle with the forced removal of Indigenous tribes, and instead leaves readers wondering what caused Native peoples to change centuries-old fishing practices? This is an example of how multiculturalism minimizes power relations and does not require viewers to grapple with the violence imposed by Oregon pioneers.
TO THE MAP