This presentation was created by 7th grade students to share their new knowledge about the Warm Springs Reservation in Central Oregon. It introduces the history and culture of the three tribes that live there - the Warm Springs, Northern Paiute, and Wasco tribes. Hundreds of years ago, these tribes lived throughout Central and Eastern Oregon but were forced onto a small reservation in 1855. This meant the tribes from different cultures and languages had to live together, which was difficult. While the tribes faced pressure to abandon their traditions, some cultural practices like "twining" grasses into ropes and baskets are still carried on today.

1. The Place and the
People:
An Exploration
into Warm Springs
7th Grade Humanities, Art
and Technology
This is presentation was created by the REALMS 7th grade Humanities class to
share with you all the cool knowledge we now have about Warm Springs
Reservation. As a part of our learning we will be introducing you to the history
and culture of the Warm Springs people.

2. A reservation is a piece of land run by a Native
American tribe. Here in Central Oregon the
Warm Springs Reservation is run by three
tribes – the Warm Springs, the Northern Paiute
and the Wasco.

3. Hundreds of years ago the whole of Oregon was the home of Native Americans
(another word for Indians). The three tribes who lived all over Central and Eastern
Oregon were the Wasco (Chinook speaking), Northern Paiute and the Sahaptin-
speaking tribes, collectively called the Warm Springs.

4. Wasco (Chinook
Speaking)
In 1855, about 160 years ago,
the white settlers of Oregon
forced all the Native Americans Warm Springs
that had lived in the Central Reservation
and Eastern Oregon area on to
a small chunk of land that we
now call the Warm Springs
Reservation. This meant that
all the tribes came to live Sahaptin
together. There were now
three different languages and Speaking
three different cultures living Tribes
together on this area. This was
very hard as many had left
their home land. Can you
imagine being forced to leave
your home? Going to a strange
place where many people
Northern Paiute
spoke a language you didn’t
understand? Pretty scary…

5. For many years the US government
forced the Native Americans to learn
English and to live the way of the white
settlers. They were forced to give up
their beliefs and traditions, change the
way they ate, dressed and they were
not allowed to govern themselves.
They were encouraged to farm instead
of hunt, and raise cows and chickens
instead of fish and gather berries. This
was very hard for this culture, as they
had lived hunting, fishing and
gathering for 1000’s of years.

6. About 40 years ago the US government stopped forcing English on the Native Americans but
unfortunately by that time many of the languages had been lost. Today, some of the elders who
still know the native languages are teaching them to the children. Because English is now
spoken almost exclusively on the reservations, it is difficult to re-establish the native languages.

7. Even though the Wasco, Northern
Paiute and Warm Springs cultures
were almost wiped out by
European settlers and the US
Government, many cultural
traditions are still practiced, even
though life on the Reservation is
very different than life was when
native Americas lived all over
Oregon. Every year at the Warm
Springs reservation there are
festivals, ceremonies
and rituals that keep
the culture alive and
unique.

8. One of those traditions is called “twining”. Twining
is the way the Native Americans made rope, fishing
nets and baskets. 100’s of years ago if a Native
American needed something to hunt or fish or make
a basket with they had to make it! There were no
stores to go buy things from. So they twisted
grasses to make strong twine that can be weaved
into larger ropes, baskets and nets. Twining is still
practiced today to make hand made rope, nets and
baskets and is a skill passed down from one
generation to another.