E Coosh EEWA: The way it is
Letters to the editor
The year at
the museum
The Museum at Warm
Springs shared its most re-
cent newsletter, highlighting
the events and accomplish-
ments of the previous 12
months. Highlights included
the museum’s three main
exhibits of the year, starting
with the Thirty-First Annual
Warm Springs Tribal Mem-
ber and Youth Art Show;
then the summer Saddle Up:
Ranchers and Rodeo Life of
the Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs; and ending
with the Thirty-Second An-
nual Warm Springs Tribal
Member and Youth Art
Show, currently on display
through early March.
Master Class, capital
projects, new staff
The Columbia River Pla-
teau Shell Dress Making
Workshop in 2025 was a
four-day, two-session ‘Co-
lumbia River Plateau Shell
Dress Making’ master arts
class workshop. The work-
shop was sponsored in part-
nership with the Museum at
Warm Springs and the s’gwi
gwi’altxw, House of Wel-
come Cultural Art Center at
the Evergreen State College;
with additional support from
First Nations Development
Institute and the Oregon
Cultural Trust.
Program Specialist Linley
Logan, of the Tonawanda
Seneca, from The House of
Welcome Cultural Art Center
at Evergreen State assisted in
the administration of the
workshop and shared stories
with the participants.
Instructor Roberta Kirk
of Warm Springs was the
workshop’s master instruc-
tor. She was assisted by her
granddaughter Tashina
Eastman.
Museum activities
and grants
The museum published
its 2024 Annual Report in
February. The total awarded
from grants, according to
the report, was a little more
than $1.8 million.
Roof replacement
p r o j e c t . In the early
spring of last year it be-
came apparent that the
museum needed a new
roof as the current one
hadn’t been replaced since
the building was con-
structed more than 30 years
ago. The total cost was
$130,869.
Donors for the project
included: The Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs, the
Ford Family Foundation, the
R o u n d h o u s e
Foundation, the Oregon
Community Foundation,
the Michael Templeton Es-
tate, the museum’s Board
of Directors, Bill and
Kathy Nicholson, and
Doug and Jennifer Goe;
and the Museum’s Board
of
Regents,
Anne
Gordon; St. Charles Health
System, Janet and Bob
Frey, Kristan Knapp, Ofelia
and Larry Svart, and Mor-
gan Stanley, as a gift
through Danielle and Sand-
ers Nye.
Per manent Exhibit
renewal project. In Au-
gust the museum was
awarded $1.5 million in
state funding for the re-
newal of its aging Perma-
nent Exhibit. The funding
officially kicks off the
museum’s capital campaign
for the project, to update
technical equipment and
provide more information
on the progress of the Con-
federated Tribes of Warm
Springs.
The museum was one of
13 Oregon arts and cultural
organizations that was
awarded state funding, which
will be distributed through
the Cultural Resources Eco-
nomic Fund. Museum staff
worked in close cooperation
with the Cultural Advocacy
Coalition of Oregon—the
only statewide nonprofit
dedicated to advocating for
public support of the arts,
culture, heritage, and humani-
ties—throughout the applica-
tion and legislative process.
The $1.5 million grant rep-
resents the ‘half-way’ point in
overall funds needed for the
realization of the project.
New museum staff. The
museum suffered greatly dur-
ing the Covid-19 pandemic,
from late Januar y, 2020
through early May 5, 2023.
The museum saw lengthy
building closures and loss of
staff. Since 2019, largely due
to the pandemic, the mu-
seum lost eight out of its 11
full-time staff employees.
In 2025, the museum
added four new employees,
which brought the staff to-
tal to seven with additional
hires planned for 2026.
Annual membership
drive. The museum’s annual
Page 4 Spilyay Tymoo January 7, 2026
membership drive this past
fall raised $18,170. Mem-
berships continued to come
in after the drive had ended,
and by late December the
membership revenue was
$22,850. Membership to-
taled 193.
Regional and statewide
cultural organizations and
other entities helped spread
the word about our mem-
bership drive and encour-
aged membership in the
museum. Our collaborators
included:
The Central Oregon
Landwatch; the Deschutes
Land Trust; the High Desert
Museum; the Jefferson
County Arts Association;
and the Art Adventure Gal-
lery. Also:
The Jefferson County
Historical Society; KWSO
91.9 FM Warm Springs
Radio; the Madras-Jefferson
Country Chamber of
Commerce; the Old Mill
District; Our Children
Oregon; Redmond Chamber
of Commerce and CVB; the
Roundhouse Foundation; the
Spilyay Tymoo; the Environ-
mental Center and Visit Cen-
tral Oregon.
Oregon Historical So-
ciety reciprocal member-
ship program. The mu-
seum once again partici-
pated in the Oregon Histori-
cal Society’s 2025 recipro-
cal membership program.
Museum members re-
ceive free admission for
themselves and three guests
of any age to a different Or-
egon attraction each month.
We were the featured at-
traction in July, and as a re-
sult saw a substantial in-
crease in the number of visi-
tors from across Oregon
during that month. We will
participate in the program
again in 2026.
Notes...
There is a Senior
Lunch this Wednesday,
January 7 at noon at the
Warm Springs Senior Cen-
ter dining area. Senior meals
are free for all elders age
60 and older. Guests are
welcome to join the seniors
for lunch. Cost is $1 for
youth, $5 for adults, or you
can assist with clean-up af-
ter the meal.
Social Dance classes are
Wednesdays from 3:30-5
p.m. in the Community Cen-
ter Aerobics Room. Classes
are open to all ages, and no
sign-up is required. If you
have questions, contact
Deanie Johnson at Culture
and Heritage.
New year wish from Papalaxsimisha
Papalaxsimisha
KsKs Nukwashái Ayats
Patlapa, ceremonial basket
hat by Natalie Kirk, 2025
Judge’s Choice-Traditional.
As we start a new year,
our team would like to ex-
press our gratitude to our
families, our community,
our partners and our
funders for the support,
the love and the grace, as
we navigated a tough
2025. We experienced
loss, grief, hardships and
everything that comes with
change in life. Although it
had been a tough year, it
was also a transformative
and healing year for us,
and we are excited to
share and celebrate with
all of you in the new year.
Our team took a little
time to rest during Decem-
ber, to take care of our-
selves, our families, and
be in community during
the holidays. One of our
values is community
care and self care. We
thank you for your time,
your presence and sup-
port throughout the year,
from Papalaxsimisha.
Council seeks to fill board, commission vacancies
The Tribal Council is
looking to fill a number
of positions on tribal
boards of directors and
a commission. The posi-
tions close by 5 p.m. on
Friday, January 16. You
can apply by sending a
letter of interest and re-
sume to, by mail: Secre-
tar y-Treasurer/CEO,
PO Box 455, War m
Springs, OR 97761.
Or drop off at the admin-
istration building, addressed
to S-T/CEO. Included with
the letter and resume, please
include a signed criminal and
credit background check:
Forms can be emailed or
mail to you. Information will
be confidential to the S-T/
CEO.
Trial Credit: One tribal
member, one non-member.
Tribal Employment
Notice to horse owners:
Multi-State Equine
Herpes Outbreak
Blue Flamez logo by Terry Lynn Stradley,
2025 Judge’s Choice-Traditional.
Spilyay Ty moo
(Coyote News, Est. 1976)
Publisher Emeritus in Memorium:
Sid Miller
Editor: Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo is published bi-weekly by the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Our
offices are located at 4174 Highway 3 in Warm
Springs.
Any written materials submitted to Spilyay
Tymoo should be addressed to:
Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 489, Warm Springs,
OR 97761.
Phone: 541-553-2210 or 541-771-7521
E-Mail: david.mcmechan@wstribes.org.
Annual Subscription rates: Within U.S.: $20.00
from the Warm
Springs office of
OSU Extension
The Oregon Department
of Agriculture State
Veterinarian’s Office is aware
of an outbreak of Equine
Herpes Virus/ Equine Her-
pes Myelo-encephalopathy
in horses that were at or as-
sociated with barrel racing
and rodeo events in Texas
and Oklahoma. There are
no confir med cases of
EHV/EHM in Oregon at
this time.
The Oregon Depart-
ment of Agriculture is co-
ordinating with the affected
states and the state
Veterinarian’s Office is cur-
rently awaiting to receive
additional infor mation
from Texas and Oklahoma
on Oregon horses that may
have been exposed.
If the office receives in-
formation on exposures
from other states, they will
contact those owners di-
rectly and issue quarantine
orders to mitigate further
spread of the disease.
Recommendations for
horse owners:
If your horses traveled
to Texas, Oklahoma, or
other equine events where
EHV exposure may have
occurred, please contact a
veterinarian for specific
guidance regarding isolation
and monitoring:
· Exposed horses should
be isolated for 21 days af-
ter last known exposure.
· Appropriate isolation in-
Rights Office commission:
Four tribal member positions.
The Warm springs In-
dian Head Casino board
of Directors: Three posi-
tions, tribal member and non-
members.
War m Springs Com-
posite Board of Directors:
Four positions, tribal mem-
bers, and non-members.
Warm Springs Housing
Authority Board of Com-
cludes restricted access to
other horses, avoiding the
sharing of equipment or per-
sonnel, and utilization of pro-
tective barrier precautions.
· Exposed horses should
be monitored twice daily for
elevated temperature (above
101.5*), respiratory signs
(nasal discharge, coughing),
and for clinical signs consis-
tent with equine herpes
myeloenceophalopathy
(neurologic symptoms in-
cluding inability to stand,
difficulty walking, lethargy,
and urine dribbling).
· If elevated tempera-
ture, respiratory signs, or
EHM-compatible clinical
signs are noticed, owners
should contact their veteri-
narian immediately.
Equine herpes virus
EHV 1 is spread from
horse to horse through
contact with nasal dis-
charge or spread as aero-
missioners: One position.
Warm Springs Power
and Water Enterprises
Board of Directors: Two
positions, tribal member
and non-member.
The Telco Board of
Directors: Three posi-
tions, member (one posi-
tion); and non-members
(two positions).
Water Board: Two po-
sitions.
sol droplets. Infected
horses may not show
clinical signs of the vi-
rus but may still act as
carriers. Horses can
also contract the virus
by coming into contact
with contaminated sur-
faces such as stalls, wa-
ter, feed, tack, and
transpor t vehicles.
People can spread the
virus from horse to
horse by contaminated
hands and clothing. It is
important for owners to
watch for signs and
symptoms and practice
biosecurity measures.
Questions
about
horses or livestock? Con-
tact OSU Extension’s
Scott
Dug gan
at
scott.duggan@oregonstate.edu
or call 541-447-6228