The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

The Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco announces the opening of Chinuk Ntsayka! We are Chinook: Photographs by Amiran White which will be on view August 4 to November 11. An opening reception will be held along with members of the Chinook Indian Nation on August 4 from 5-7 p.m. The exhibit and reception are open to the public and free of charge.

The exhibit will feature photographs by Amiran White, who has been documenting the Chinook Indian Nation and their decades-long fight for federal recognition for eight years. White was born and raised in the United Kingdom but began her photojournalism career as a stringer for the Associated Press in Portland.

She spent 10 years as a staff photographer on various daily newspapers in Oregon, Pennsylvania and New Mexico before starting her career as a freelancer. White has won a variety of awards for her work. Most recently she was chosen as one of Oregon’s visual artists to receive a 2022 Individual Artists Fellowships from the Oregon Arts Commission.

White began documenting the tribe’s life, ways and fight for federal recognition after hearing Chinook Indian Nation Chairman Tony Johnson speak during Indigenous People’s Day at the University of Oregon. Working closely with tribal families, White’s work portrays daily moments of tribal members’ lives. From tribal celebrations and customs such as the First Salmon Ceremony and Canoe Journey, to poignant images of family life and community, White’s photographs tell the story of today’s Chinook Indian Nation and their fight for justice.

The Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.