American Experience: Grand Coulee Dam

A slice of history; one of this country's biggest environmental mistakes.
A good view of who did what when to change the place of the Columbia River in the lives of the inhabitants of the region, the effects of which are still felt today.

Great pic
What a wonderful DVD. If you are interested in Native American things this has a side that is most interesting. You see for yourself the befores and afters. But what caught me the most was the moving picture of the people fishing prior to the dam. That fishing area is gone and will never come back. It changed the peoples lives. They did not get what they were promised. It was a cost for Native Peoples to better the community. The local community never did get better, they were the cost cause it all went to the bigger cities. Very interesting history. Sometimes we dont see the bigger picture.

Where the rippling waters glide
`Grand Coulee Dam' is a 90 minute DVD. It has English subtitles, and scene selectors, no extras. It tells the story of the Columbia River and how the Grand Coulee Dam came to be built. The problems of irrigation and hydroelectric power in the region are discussed with some of the too many talking heads that are used throughout the film. The construction of the dam is show with period films.
The promises that were made to the residents, especially the Indian tribes who had their sacred ground and burial grounds and fishing livelihood destroyed are emphasized. The Indians never did get the cheap electricity they were promised and it took 50 years for a financial settlement to be made. The abundance of fish and especially the salmon industry was all but destroyed.

Coverage is given on both the pros and cons of the dam. What is especially emphasized in the pro side is that without the dam and its hydroelectric power much of the manufacturing for WWII would not have been...

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