Visit The Museum at Warm Springs
Plans for a new Permanent Exhibit are underway
By Paul Dewey, Board of Directors, The Museum at Warm Springs
The Museum at Warm Springs was Oregon’s first tribal museum and is one of the oldest tribal museums in the United States.
The Museum at Warm Springs exists to preserve the culture, history and traditions of the three tribes — Warm Springs, Wasco and Northern Paiute — which comprise The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon. Conceived, designed and built to Smithsonian Institution standards, the Museum has played a significant role in the cultural, economic and tourism ecosystem of Central Oregon since its opening in 1993.
Encompassing 25,000 square feet, the building is a striking piece of contemporary architecture that has affected visitors in an emotional, rarely experienced way. The Museum building is a welcoming sight to the public and it provides a safe conservatory for the traditional treasures of the three Tribes. It represents the land in its aesthetics as shared by tribal members to the architect team.
Situated alongside Shi-tike Creek which empties into the Deschutes River in North Central Oregon, the exterior grounds and museum building resemble a traditional encampment among beautiful cottonwood trees.
Inside, the museum consists of three sections. The popular gift shop holds an unparalleled selection of tribally-made beadwork, baskets and traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. The temporary exhibition space provides special opportunities to experience the art, history, and culture of the Tribes and other Indigenous peoples both regionally and nationally. And, the Permanent Exhibit offers visitors a glimpse into the historic life among the Warm Springs Tribes and a chance to learn about the story of the Treaty of 1855 that created the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
“Stacey in RED” - A survivor and activist from Little Bear First Nation. Photo: Wayne Slinn, in collaboration with Indigenous makeup artist JJ Vester Penny.
The Cougar with Green Eyes by Delcie Scott. Photo by David McMechan.
Ninety-eight percent of Native people experience violence during their lifetime with Native women experiencing murder rates 11 times the national average. These crimes are under-reported by the media and under-prosecuted by law enforcement.
In 2024, The Museum at Warm Springs hosted the national traveling exhibit, “Portraits in Red: Missing & Murdered Indigenous People Painting Project.” The exhibit, which features forty paintings by Nayana LaFond (Métis Nation of Ontario) of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives, has brought much-needed national visibility to this ongoing crisis.
Every November, The Museum at Warm Springs highlights the creativity of Warm Springs artists in the categories of painting, drawing, mixed-media, beadwork, photography, video and more in the categories of traditional and contemporary art.
On Wednesday, November 6, 2024, “The 31st Annual Warm Springs Tribal Member and Youth Exhibit” will open. The juried show will have artworks for sale with a 20 percent commission going to the museum. It will be on view through Saturday, February 8, 2025.
Due to shared values and shared work to protect natural resources, there has been a strong connection between The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Central Oregon LandWatch for three decades.
Consistent with tribal treaty rights for off-reservation fishing, hunting, and gathering is Central Oregon LandWatch’s objective to protect the underlying habitat to these rights. The Tribes' treaty rights to these resources are meaningless without an environment that supports their populations.
My favorite sections of the museum’s Permanent Exhibit are those containing photos of elders who were alive when the museum was built. Many of these elders are now gone, but they were central to the creation of the museum, this bridge to past generations.
Museum Executive Director Elizabeth Woody (Warm Springs, Yakama and Diné) calls the Permanent Exhibit “the heart of the museum and the historical voice of the Warm Springs people.”
Planning for refreshing the permanent exhibit is underway now.
“At its inception, the Permanent Exhibit was state-of-the-art in technology,” Woody explained, noting, “However, and naturally so, over the past 31 years, museum technology has advanced dramatically and our Permanent Exhibit has become diminished in its impact and maintainability.”
“At the nexus of the evolving permanent exhibit is an evolving mission for our museum where the Permanent Exhibit regains and achieves its role as the heart of the museum,” said Woody.
“It’s very exciting,” added Woody. “We are currently fundraising for the permanent exhibit renewal, which according to our best estimates, will carry a cost of approximately $3 million.”
“The re-awakened and renewed Permanent Exhibit will continue being the storyteller, the voice and the heart of the Tribes of this place we call home,” said Woody. “After 31 years, our mission and vision for The Museum at Warm Springs have remained strong. We are convinced that it will remain so well into the future.”
MUSEUM HOURS & ADMISSION
The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 am to 5 pm, with a one-hour closure from noon to 1 pm for lunch. It is also closed on holidays. Please note that no outdoor trails are currently open.
Museum members pay no admission fee. For non-members, the rates are $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens (60+), $4.50 Students (13-18) with Student Body card, $3.50 Children (5-12) and no charge 4 years old and under. Group rates are available. Call (541) 553-3331, ext. 409.
Plan Your Visit
About the Author
Paul Dewey has served on the board of directors at The Museum at Warm Springs for nearly a decade. He is also the founder of Central Oregon LandWatch and served as executive director from 1986 to 2020.
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