Electron, the Great
In 2020, the Electron Hydro Dam built a temporary bypass channel comprised of turf and crumb rubber. Increased water flow in the river caused a tear in the bypass, resulting in massive amounts of toxic waste dumping into the Puyallup. In May of 2023, Electron Hydro was ordered to pay $1 million in damages to the Puyallup Tribe and Pierce County - the largest environmental settlement to date in the state of Washington. In February 2024, Electron Hydro was ordered by a federal judge to breach its dam for violating the Endangered Species Act.
This series is an homage to the Salmon People- my people. This is an insight to our ancestral land that has been continuously devastated by wealth, yet tenderly cared for by the stewards who reside here. There is pain and sorrow, but there is also strength and hope among the Puyallup people. All of these images are taken on Puyallup land, and portray our sense of survival, spirituality, and love for this place we call ‘home.’
“We are at war with what is happening to the environment, and we always will be.”
-Bill Sterud, Chairman of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians