Elleda Wilson: Matchless mural
May 19—Dee Zimmerlee is helping the Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated Tribes in their mission to revitalize their heritage and culture by holding a fundraiser to restore and repair a historic mural.
"In 2008, Roger Cooke brought the culture and heritage of the Clatsop and Nehalem people to downtown Seaside," Zimmerlee wrote. "The 60-foot-long mural, mounted on the Ace Hardware building, celebrates Seaside's Native American history and iconic Necanicum estuary and Tillamook Head.
"The mural also includes historic images of our ancestors, including Tostum, headman of the Clatsop in the mid-1800s, and Joe Scovell, heredity chief of the Nehalem." To create the mural, Cooke worked closely with members of the Clatsop and Nehalem tribes; a small portion of it is shown.
In 2021, a car went over the curb, up on the sidewalk, and into the mural, adding to the harm already caused by years of wear and tear and weather. The car-affected panels will be shipped to Seattle for repair, and the oxidation and weather damage can be repaired and restored locally.
The mural has already been taken down to be repaired. Once all of the work is done, the mural will be reinstalled, touched up, and graffiti protection applied. The cost of all of those efforts is $20,000, the goal of Zimmerlee's fundraiser, which can be found at bit.ly/FixMural
"The Clatsop-Nehalem people share a strong attachment to our homeland on the North Oregon Coast, a strong interest in maintaining the vitality of our unique culture, and a strong commitment to the well-being of our elders, our children, and our children's children."
"The mural," she added, "has become a very important in presenting the history of this place we call Seaside." Will you help?
