I was born on the sunny-side, the semi-arid high desert of Central Oregon, the land of Ponderosa Pine and Western Juniper, where miles of underground lava tubes swerve beneath me and animals adapted to the high and dry roam and fly. The sun keeps a strong beat in this place, and the Cascade volcanoes, some still holding glaciers on their chests, gleam on the west horizon, their foothills of Fir and Hemlock only 15 miles from my door. 

 

This land is a wonder. Shaped by millions of years of volcanic eruptions and glacial ice movements, the vast river canyons, subterranean lava tubes, basaltic rims and ridges make for most fascinating and beautiful walkabouts. Many freshwater springs emerge from the lava and form the Deschutes river watershed. The world's largest spring-fed river (!!), the Deschutes begins its descent from Little Lava Lake at the base of the mountains and into Bend, then northward through Redmond and the palisades of Warm Springs, and eventually merging into the Columbia River. The name "Deschutes" refers to the Rivière des Chutes, the name given to the river by French fur traders, which translates to "River of the Falls".

 

Along this river and its numerous waterfalls and tributaries live abundant wild foods, medicines, and fibers first known and collected by the Warm Springs, Wasco, Paiute, Klamath and other indigenous groups who lived and travelled along the Deschutes River for centuries. The Wasco, Warm Springs and Paiute form the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs today which is the largest native reservation in Oregon. If you'd like to learn more about their living traditions, cultural celebrations, and long history in this region, visit their website: https://warmsprings-nsn.gov/ or immerse yourself in the exhibits of the Museum at Warm Springs 60 miles north of Bend. The High Desert Museum south of Bend is also a place to immerse and educate yourself through their exhibits as well as their vast library of books, many of which are written by PNW indigenous authors.

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Warm Springs Reservation experiences water insecurity due to mainline breaks in their water infrastructure. For two years members were on a "boil water" notice, meaning that taking showers, washing dishes, doing laundry, and feeding livestock and animals was increasingly difficult/impossible. In 2020, Federal and State support for Warm Springs lagged amidst the simultaneous political mayhem and Covid-19 outbreak. In 2022, the Tribe received $23 million in state and federal funding to begin design and construction, but they need more. If you would like to make a donation and help restore access and infrastructure for clean water to the Reservation, visit the Chuush Fund here:  

​https://www.mrgfoundation.org/donate-the-chuush-fund-water-for-warm-springs/