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Umatilla and Morrow counties are located on the south bank of the Columbia River in northeastern Oregon. Before Euro-American settlers came west, Native Americans fished, hunted and gathered seasonal vegetation in the region. Today, the area around Hermiston is one of the state's richest agricultural centers.

The land and climate are dry, so the local rivers have always been important to the people living in the region. The Columbia River supplies water for irrigation and electrical energy. The river is also a transportation route, a recreation place, and a source for food with its fish.

The rivers have made life possible in this location. Even today, without irrigation there would be very little, if any, farming in the region. Using modern technology, farmers and engineers have improved irrigation methods in the last 20 years. Crops now grow in circular fields because of center-pivot irrigation. This method uses a motor in the center of the field to move an irrigation arm. The arm rotates very slowly while watering the crops. From the sky, the land around Hermiston looks like a piece of polka-dotted fabric.

Over time Hermiston expanded because of new industries. The Umatilla Army Depot brought military personnel. People came to build and operate the McNary Dam and power facilities. Now, agriculture attracts workers from other places in the United States and Mexico.

Activities

Activity 1: Explore with students what your region looks like? What kinds of plants, trees and land formations exist there? What are some traditions that relate to the land and the weather in your part of the state? Are there special celebrations or festivals in your community that have to do with the area's history or the crops that are grown there? Have students draw a picture of their neighborhood, the surrounding land, and the places that are especially important to them.

Activity 2: Help students become acquainted with the physical dimensions of the local region. They should understand the local physical geography since it helps shape the way people live in this area. Ask students to think of the many ways that the Columbia River and the rich lands of the Columbia plateau affect their lives and the life of the community. Use a good map of the region to look at these important physical features. Ask what things make a physical region. See if they can figure out where things begin to change physically and where another physical region might begin.

New developments in technology can dramatically change the character of life in a region. Do some historical investigation about what life was like in the area before Europeans came, before irrigation, before the Umatilla Army Depot, and before the McNary Dam was built. Interviews with parents, grandparents, and older local citizens about these specific aspects of the region's past could be helpful. Have the class create a timeline that pinpoints important dates in the history of the region.

Activity 3: Have students write a story based on the following questions: Everyone has a story about how his/her family got to eastern Oregon. Ask your parents why your family originally moved to eastern Oregon? If you are Native American, were your ancestors from this region of the state? Have students research the story of their family's reason for moving to Oregon and write a story about it. Compile these in a book of family histories of the class.

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