
In 1957 the Columbia river was dammed at Celilo Falls, inundating ten thousand years of native culture and a thriving river ecosystem. Submerged depicts this event with poignant text and hand-painted imagery by the artist.
The physical structure of the book captures both the flow and stasis of Celilo Falls: the opening movement of the book mirrors cascading water and the static pages reference a dam wall. In combination, these elements illustrate the complex social and ecological impact dams have on individuals, communities and the environment.
Submerged is housed in a hand-made clamshell box which includes a time-line documenting the building of The Dalles Dam and flooding of Celilo Village.