(Photo above: L-R George Meachum, Isaac McKinley, Charley McKinley, Nathan Heath and Jackson Culps | courtesy of The Museum at Warm Springs)

A Treaty Conference in celebration of The Museum At Warm Springs’ 25th anniversary will take place October 25-27. People of the River, People of the Salmon: Then, Now and Tomorrow (“Wana Thlama-Nusuxmí Tanánma: E-Wah’-Cha’-Nye”) will be hosted by The Museum At Warm Springs and will focus on the 1855 Treaty and the establishment of the museum in 1993 as important actions of inherent sovereignty. The three-day event will conclude with an honoring of Living Treasures, Warm Springs tribal citizens whose knowledge and commitment to perpetuating the cultural and heritage leave a legacy for future generations.

The Treaty with the Tribes of Middle Oregon 1855 will be on display in the museum October 2-November 3. The exhibit will include six pages of the original copy of the Treaty with the Tribes of Middle Oregon 1855 that established the Warm Springs Reservation. Warm Springs tribal member and museum archivist Evaline Patt selected the pages that are on loan from the National Archives in Washington D.C. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9am to 5pm, and 8am to 5pm during the Treaty Conference.

“On March 14, 1993, The Museum At Warm Springs opened its doors as a living repository and center to perpetuate the culture and heritage of The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs,” articulated Douglas Goe, Museum Board of Directors Chairman, “The Treaty Conference is an important Museum 25th anniversary event that will educate the public about tribal history, culture and heritage and the Treaty with the Tribes of Middle Oregon 1855 that established the Warm Springs Reservation.”

Conference speakers and distinguished guests will include: Warm Springs tribal leaders; tribal leaders and dignitaries representing the Native Nations of the Columbia River and Pacific Northwest; local and state government officials of Oregon; U.S. Congressional members of the Oregon delegation; prominent Native American attorneys, scholars, educators and cultural leaders.

The Treaty Conference will focus on—educating Warm Springs tribal children and citizens as it pertains to their inheritance of the Treaty’s rights and responsibilities; offering a history of treaties and Oregon tribes; arranging informative panels for the administrators of Oregon’s county and state governments, along with federal administrators of the Pacific Northwest region; assisting Oregon teachers and educators to understand treaties and the history of Oregon’s tribes with regard to the mandate of teaching American Indian history in schools; providing essential education for current and future Oregon citizens regarding tribal sovereignty and co-management of Natural Resources; affording insight to the cultural constant — Natural Laws of the Creator — of Oregon tribes; affirming the economic benefits of tribal sovereignty and governance.

The Treaty Conference is open to the general public and those interested in tribal affairs. Registration is required. The conference is free to Warm Springs tribal citizens but will be capped at 100 attendees with registration being first come, first served. Total conference attendance will be capped at 300. The registration fee for all three days of the conference is $350 for non-tribal citizens (attendees) and includes lunch each day. Lodging is not included.
To register, contact Deb Stacona, Development Director, The Museum At Warm Springs at 541-553-3331, ext. 405; dstacona@museumatwarmsprings.org.