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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2025)
Museum staff profile: Alyssa Selam Alyssa Selam is the Museum at Warm Springs maintenance and building manager. “I am in charge of assuring that the museum grounds are presented at the high- est standards, which involves clear- ing litter and cutting back dry brush on the museum’s property,” Alyssa says. “I assist wherever I am needed across the many different depart- ments within the museum ecosys- tem and going through daily op- erational checklists and trouble- shooting electronic hurdles.” Alyssa can be reached at 541-553-3331, ext. 402, and email at: maintenance@museumatwarm springs.org Question: Tell us a little bit about your background, education and experience. How did you land at the Museum at Warm Springs, Employment The following are recent em- ployment positions open with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. For more information, call 541-553-3262 or email: hr@wstribes.org Tribal organization posi- tions: Wellness coordinator. Housing Authority maintenance worker. Field director. Property/warehouse manager. General technician. Senior Pro- gram community health repre- sentative. Information/referral driver. Education program coordinator. Seasonal fisheries technician. Sanitation technician. Com- munity Health representative generalist. Receptionist/security coordinator. Surveillance observer. Part- and how long have you worked here? Answer: I’m an enrolled mem- ber of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. I am also of Diné, Yakama and Nimiipuu descent. Most of my childhood was spent on the Warm Springs reser- vation. In adulthood I moved to Seattle to pursue my education in Biological Oceanography, but I later shifted toward the Culinary Arts and trained under executive Chef Dan L. at a well-renowned country club. I only planned working for a summer in a seasonal position, but stayed for almost 12 years! Almost all of my coworkers at the country club knew me as ‘Ham- mer,’ a nickname that kind of fore- told my future in a funny way… now that I am part of the maintenance department. time surveillance observer. Le- gal aid advocate (2 positions). Gaming inspector. Internal auditor. Engineer technician. Communications officer. Police officer. Police detec- tive (3 positions). Corrections Sergeant. Corrections officer (7 positions). Land services administrator. Registered Dietician/WIC coor- dinator. Community Health pro- gram manager. Head Start pro- gram manager. Plateau Travel Plaza: Store supervisor. Store manager. Store cashier. Security officer Indian Head Head Casino: Player ’s Club ambassador. Cage manager. Server. Cage cashier. Kitchen steward. Class III keyperson. Cook. Custodian. Attendant. Count team member. Custodial super- visor. event. I really enjoyed beautifying the museum’s space and working outdoors. So I volunteered for a while at the museum before getting the courage to ask if they were hir- ing. I have been officially hired on for almost five months now. What interests you about Indig- enous arts and cultures? What is special about it? I love seeing the way our ances- tors created tools using materials found in nature. These tools connect us to the earth and also help us find common ground with people from diverse cultures and beliefs. Alyssa Selam Three-and-a-half years ago life guided me back to Warm Springs. With a lot of time on my hands, I chose to volunteer during a Mu- seum at Warm Springs clean-up What does a normal workday look like for you? A normal workday always starts off with caffeine and a quick scan of the calendar and emails. I need to be aware if anything needs my immediate attention. After that I usually start my cleaning routine and try to finish before the doors to the museum open. Throughout the day I walk the grounds and make note of tasks that need to be completed such as yard work, fence repair, or any general clean-up of an area. I do my best to make myself avail- able to help out in other depart- ments as well. I always find some- thing to do. What are the most important aspects of your job? The most important aspects of my job include helping the Mu- seum at Warm Springs to operate at its fullest potential. Also, ensur- ing that guests and tribal members alike have a space where they can feel comfortable learning about our history and lived experience. What do you enjoy the most about your work at The Museum at Warm Springs? I enjoy learning. The museum has already taught me beyond my previous work skillset and also fur- thering my knowledge of our tribes’ history.
