There are currently more than 10 active fires in Oregon, according to InciWeb, a government incident information system. Of those, the Canyon Creek Complex Fire is the largest, at 105,684 acres and 49 percent contained as of press time. More than 900 firefighters are currently working on that blaze, include six National Guard units. In […]
warm springs
Posted inNews
Fire in the Blood
Warm Springs women carry on a family firefighting tradition
Yvette Leecy walks through the fire camp like it’s her home—and in many ways, it is. She stops to greet the crew serving meals to firefighters, grabbing a sack lunch and asking how long they’ve been working fires. Some are relatives, others are coworkers, none are strangers. It’s this knack for working with people—combined with […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
No Justice, No Peace
Native American women face high rates of sexual assault
Warm Springs tribal member Alyssa Macy has represented indigenous women globally at the United Nations World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. She also has survived multiple incidents of sexual assault. Unfortunately, for Native American women, the latter of these experiences is more common than the former. “The research shows that Native women are victims of sexual […]
Posted inOpinion
Letters 7/23-7/29
IN REPLY TO “TROUBLE ON THE REZ” (7/9) The reservation has overcome many obstacles and sincerely tries to provide for its members, but their image to the public and to themselves could be improved a degree. The buildings seen from the highway are not attractive to the traveling public nor to the tribal members. Either improve […]
Posted inOpinion
Letters 7/10-7/16
IN REPLY TO “TROUBLE ON THE REZ” (7/10) Oh brother… [The] Gorge [casino] was the best solution for the Tribe…Worst decision ever to sideline it. It did not touch our land, removed gaming from the Reservation, which depletes Tribal Members income. Gaming is an addiction that is destroying the Reservation from within. Which is worse […]
Posted inNews
What in the World: Flowers in Beards, Journos in Detention, and Fires in Central Oregon
FASHION: It’s been said that beards have reached their peak and are on their way out of style, but can fusing facial hair with flower chains postpone their demise? You be the judge. Also, please send us photos of your Bend floral beard crowns. (Mic) IMMIGRATION: Activist and journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who came out three years ago about his […]
Posted inNews
Editor’s Note: This week’s issue
With so much natural wonder and countless outdoor opportunities, it can be easy to forget that Central Oregon is also a location for heartbreak. Warm Springs Reservation is a stark reminder of that contrast; stunningly beautiful, but with nearly half of its population living in poverty and unemployment rates up to seven times those of the rest […]
Posted inNews
Trouble on the Rez
Warm Springs searches for path to economic security
Warm Springs is in trouble. The signs are easy enough to miss. From the curving canyon road hugging the twists and turns of the Deschutes to the desolately dramatic outcroppings flanking either side, the barren beauty provides a welcome distraction from creeping realities. Even the human-built structures there evoke majestic natural and historical elements—Indian Head […]
Posted inNews
Warm Springs on a Hot Streak
The changing face of fighting fires in the American West
Last Monday, when I arrived on the Warm Springs Reservation, it was a whirlwind of confusion. A pillar of smoke billowed in the background. The Warm Springs Incident Management Team was in the process of transferring firefighting duties to Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 4 (ORIIMT4)—a well-trained crew made up of federal, state, and municipal […]
