Warm Springs Treaty Days and Community Events Highlight Holiday Weekend

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is observing the Treaty Day holiday today and tomorrow (6/25-6/26/26), with tribal offices closed for the two-day observance. Tribal Council members are hosting a Treaty Day BBQ beginning at 11 a.m. today at the Community Center Pavilion. Community members are also encouraged to attend the second Thursday Market of the season today from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Campus Pavilion. Vendors will be available throughout the event, with Fresh Harvest Kits offered to the first 30 participants and free produce provided by Around the Bend Farms. The Dental Clinic Bus will be on site, and KWSO staff will be gathering community feedback through a programming survey.

Pi-Ume-Sha Treaty Days activities continue throughout the weekend. Organizers reported a strong turnout at the annual Pi-Ume-Sha Health Fair, with 599 participants attending. The Pi-Ume-Sha Treaty Days Powwow begins Friday with Grand Entry at 7 p.m., followed by Grand Entries at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Boxing returns to Treaty Days this year with Indigenous Rez Boxing scheduled Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the former VFW Hall. The Traditional Parade, themed “Honoring the Horses,” starts Saturday at 11 a.m., traveling from the old elementary school to the powwow grounds. Parade participants will line up beginning at 10 a.m., with judging at 10:15 a.m.

The Pi-Ume-Sha Open Rodeo will take place Saturday and Sunday at the Warm Springs Rodeo Grounds beginning at 1 p.m. each day. Saturday admission is $20 per vehicle, while Sunday’s Youth Open Rodeo is free. The Azar Spino Memorial Wild Horse Race is set for Saturday, featuring 16 teams competing in two sections. Rodeo events also include the Sammy Bruised Head Memorial Breakaway Roping, which begins today at 5 p.m.

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Human Resources Department is thanking employees, departments and vendors who participated in last week’s Employee Appreciation Event. HR recognized 68 employees with Years of Service Awards and encouraged recipients who have not yet picked up their awards to visit the department for their certificates and gifts. Organizers also acknowledged departments that hosted activity booths and local vendors who supported the event.

In Madras, community members are preparing for increased visitor traffic as Treaty Days events draw participants from throughout the region. Local businesses and services are expected to see additional activity during the holiday weekend.

Central Oregon officials continue monitoring Prineville Reservoir after crews discovered a dead invasive quagga mussel on the shoreline earlier this month. State agencies have not found additional mussels or larvae in follow-up testing. Officials say the species poses significant threats to irrigation systems, hydroelectric facilities and aquatic ecosystems, but no closures or quarantines are planned while monitoring continues.

In Indian Country news, leaders of a Lutheran church in Portland have announced plans to transfer church property to the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA). Church officials described the action as a return of Indigenous land and a step toward addressing historical injustices. NAYA plans to convert the property into affordable housing for Indigenous elders.

Across Oregon, a $49 million class-action settlement could provide compensation to inmates and families affected by COVID-19 outbreaks in state prisons during the pandemic. The agreement would distribute funds among the families of inmates who died in custody and more than 5,000 people who contracted the virus while incarcerated. A status conference in the case is scheduled for today.

In the Northwest, researchers and community groups in Tacoma are experimenting with the Miyawaki method of dense native plantings to restore urban forests and prairies. Participants report increased wildlife activity and improved habitat restoration in areas previously dominated by development and invasive species.

Weather: Warm Springs will see sunny and hot conditions through the weekend with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s and overnight lows in the 50s. Dry weather is expected to continue through Sunday.