The first Thursday Market of the season kicks off this Thursday, June 18th, at the Warm Springs Campus Pavilion. Running weekly from 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM through September 10th, the market allows visitors to shop local beadwork and crafts while connecting with community programs like the IHS Pharmacy, OHSU, and Head Start. Attendees can pick up free books from the Jefferson County Library, purchase fresh produce from Redmond’s Rooper Ranch, or grab one of 30 free Fresh Harvest Kits from the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance. As part of KWSO’s 40th anniversary celebration, families can also stop by the KWSO table for a free child-size Root Digger T-shirt while supplies last. Vendor tables are available first-come, first-served, you can contact KWSO at 541-553-1968 with questions. For concession stand inquiries talk to Isaac George at the Family Resource Center.
Boxing is making a comeback for Pi-ume-sha weekend. Organizers announced that the 1855 Treaty Days “Indigenous Rez Boxing” matches, dubbed “Hard Times,” will take place on Saturday, June 27th. Bouts will run from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM at the Warm Springs Nation Warriors Activity Center at the old VFW Compound on Hollywood Boulevard.
Warm Springs Tribal Court will hold a mandatory Jury Orientation tomorrow, June 17th, at 4:00 PM at the Tribal Court House, and prospective jurors must check in at the front desk.
A critical fire weather watch is in effect today across Central Oregon, driven by strong winds and low humidity. Stage One Public Use Fire Restrictions are active, and local vegetation is extremely dry. Officials urge the public to prevent human-caused blazes by obeying burn bans, securing trailer chains, and avoiding parking vehicles in dry grass. Shifting winds are expected to push smoke and haze into the Warm Springs and Central Oregon areas from several large fires burning to the north, including the 9,000-acre Burdoin Fire in the Columbia River Gorge, the 3,000-acre Twin Sisters Fire near the Oregon border, and the 5,000-acre Tule Fire near Toppenish, Washington.
Regional fire management is seeing a structural shift as all Oregon Department of Forestry districts officially enter fire season. While fire season on the Warm Springs Reservation began on May 26th, all official reservation fire declarations are now overseen by a new federal agency: the U.S. Wildland Fire Service. Launched in January under the Department of the Interior, the agency unifies wildfire operations across the BIA, BLM, National Park Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service, assuming reservation responsibilities previously held by the BIA Superintendent. In regional sports news, Seattle hosted its first of six World Cup soccer matches on Monday, drawing tens of thousands of fans, with the next match featuring Australia taking on the United States this Friday at noon.
Members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians recently gathered at the Amanda Trail site in Yachats to speak with 165 community members about their historical harvest of a 10-ton juvenile humpback whale last November. The presentation aimed to establish the mammal’s cultural significance to coastal Natives despite online controversy and historic policy barriers. Tribal member Joshua Rilatos shared his experience carving baleen and blubber, stating that despite initial nerves about public perception, local attendees showed a strong understanding of their traditions, hard work, and respect for the animal. Farther southwest, the Navajo Nation has declared a State of Emergency due to a severe, ongoing drought that threatens local agriculture, and officials warn the environmental collapse could destabilize the Southwestern power grid and worsen the Colorado River water crisis.
Bright and sunny skies today with a high near 93°F and increasingly gusty winds, cooling down to the low 50s tonight as the wind eases after midnight. Dry, hot conditions will persist over the next few days, with shifting winds potentially bringing wildfire smoke and haze into the area.
