Bend audience’s lesson: Warm Springs 101

The people who now live on the Warm Springs Reservation came to Central Oregon in the 19th century.

They were incorporated into the United States almost 100 years ago. It may surprise some, but they have a strong sense of patriotism for the U.S.

“Since we became members of the United States government back in 1924, we joined a lot of annual holidays,” language instructor Arlita Rhoan said. “Like Fourth of July — it’s very important to our tribe.”

Thursday night, two members of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs came to Bend to give a crash course — which they called Warm Springs 101 — to help people understand their culture and heritage.

One of the presenters recounted a story about his son losing his last molar, and that there’s a better thing to give it to than the Tooth Fairy.

“You go up the river and you find a dam, and you throw all that change and the beads and the tooth into that dam where the beaver lives,” language instructor Jefferson Greene said. “And you ask for plentiful, strong teeth. And you gift the beaver for that, because the beaver has the strongest teeth of all the animals.”

The most impactful segment was when he mentioned that no piece of nature was wasted — they wanted to give back to nature, instead of just taking. So, if they came upon a grove of trees, they’d leave a few so they could grow back.

A powerful analogy to the Warm Springs tribes, who continue to carry on their rich legacy.

Learn more about the peoples of the reservation on its website: https://warmsprings-nsn.gov/