TheHillandWangCriticalIssuesSeries:concise,affordableworksonpivotaltopicsinAmericanhistory,society,andpolitics.Inthispioneeringstudy,WhiteexplorestherelationshipbetweenthenaturalhistoryoftheColumbiaRiverandthehumanhistoryofthePacificNorthwestforbothwhitesandNativeAmericans.Heconcentratesonwhatbringshumansandtherivertogether:notonlythephysicalspaceoftheregionbutalso,andprimarily,energyandwork.ForworkingwiththeriverhasbeencentraltoPacificNorthwesterners’competingwaysoflife.ItisinthiswaythatWhitecomestoviewtheColumbiaRiverasanorganicmachine--withconflictinghumanandnaturalclaims--andtoshowthatwhateverseparationexistsbetweenhumansandnatureexiststobecrossed.
