Youth from Celilo Village and Columbia River Gorge tribal communities participate in a basketball skills clinic with a Portland Trail Blazers coach at the Celilo Mini-Pitch Court on Sept. 18. The clinic was part of the Trail Blazers’ Rip City Rally Tour, organized in partnership with the Yakama Nation for CRITFC member tribes’ families and children. ▣ J Gavin/CRITFC
CELILO, Ore. – The Portland Trail Blazers, working with the Yakama Nation, visited families and children at Celilo Village for a coaching session as part of their Rip City Rally Tour. The tour began in Ontario on September 15, followed by stops in Pendleton (September 17), The Dalles (September 18), and concluded in Gresham on September 19.
Youth from Columbia River tribal communities wear “Rip City is in Salmon Country” t-shirts during the Portland Trail Blazers basketball clinic at Celilo Mini-Pitch Court on Sept. 18. The shirts were designed by CRITFC Communications and made possible by a Trail Blazers grant provided before the team’s 2024 Native American Heritage Night game. ▣ J Gavin/CRITFC
The Sept. 18 basketball clinic was held at the newly opened Celilo Mini-Pitch Court and hosted by Yakama Nation Tribal Council member Jeremy Takala. The event honored village elder Karen Jim (Yakama) and closed with a salmon bake lunch provided by Yakama Nation Fisheries.
Tribal fishers and families gathered at the court as coaches worked with youth through sport, culture, and community activities. Jim spoke at the event about the power of sports in fostering Native youth engagement and cultural exchange.
Youth work on their skill development during the Sept. 18 event in Celilo. Basketball is a staple in Native households across the continent making the event that much more engaging for the community. ▣ J Gavin/CRITFC
“Events like [the Road Rally] show the power of sports in engaging our youth. The majority of our students are in sports and these kinds of opportunities are encouraging to them all,” Jim said.
Jeremy Takala added, “Today’s basketball clinic is part of an ongoing effort from the Portland Trailblazer’s DEI team over the past two years. Since the 2023 Native American Heritage Night, this team has been working with tribes to create sports opportunities and Trail Blazers game access for tribal youth along the Columbia River.”
The Mini-Pitch Court opened in December 2024 through a collaborative partnership involving the Yakama Nation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other local and tribal organizations. The court sits in the homelands of the Columbia River Plateau Tribes and to an area long tied to Indigenous culture, commerce, and fishing traditions.
Jalen Lowery, Trail Blazers Youth Basketball + Engagement Coordinator leads youth in a motivational cheer at the end of the event Sept. 18. The Portland Trail Blazers will partner with tribes again at their Native American Heritage Night game Nov. 26 in Portland. ▣ J Gavin/CRITFC
Celilo Village overlooks the site of the former Celilo Falls, which was submerged in 1957 when The Dalles Dam was completed. The falls had been a major fishing and trading center for Columbia River tribes for thousands of years.
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), which coordinates fishery management for four Columbia River treaty tribes, continues to work on restoration efforts and manages in-lieu and treaty fishing access sites throughout the Columbia River system including the Celilo Village.
The Trail Blazers’ Road Rally Tour visits communities across Oregon to connect with fans and provide basketball programming. The Celilo Village stop was planned in partnership with the Yakama Nation as part of the team’s community outreach efforts.