Grounded and Connected
What a gorgeous place!
I have a very specific memory of Kah-Nee-Ta: learning about heat mirages for the first time. We were driving (to or from, I don’t remember) and it was soo hot that I thought I was seeing puddles in the road while my parents explained to me this was simply a common occurrence on a very hot day.
That was my first and only visit to Kah-Nee-Ta as a kid and am sad to report I never went back until earlier month for Northwest Health Foundation’s annual staff retreat. As a child, I remember family playing in a very big pool, and though I don’t remember understanding that we were visiting a sovereign nation or learning the history of the area (which doesn’t sound like something my mother would forget at all), I now think of more than mirages and am thankful for the three days our team had there.
Kah-Nee-Ta is owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs and is located approximately eleven miles north of the town of Warm Springs on the 1,019 square mile Warm Springs Reservation. Last year they reported nearly 100 seasonal, year-round, full-and part-time employees earn a living at Kah-Nee-Ta, 70% of which are active tribal members.
The NWHF Team at the Warm Springs Museum.
A month or so before heading to Kah-Nee-Ta for our retreat I attended Allyship in Action’s two day Tribal Learning Series led by Jaylyn Suppah hosted by Oregon Futures Lab. Jaylyn is a mother, educator, advocate for social justice, and a member of the Confederated Tribe of Warm Springs (CTWS).
Without giving too much away (because I want you to take her training!) Jaylyn’s taught me that:
We were excited to visit Kah-Nee-Ta for this year’s retreat. It’s a ritual we do every other year as we both commit ourselves to reconnecting with each other, embarking outside of the Portland metro area, and buying BIPOC as much as possible.
My favorite highlights of our trip to Warm Springs include:
And how exciting that Jaylyn and Allyship in Action are hosting the same training in Bend this November and again virtually in December. I highly recommend it! Learn more at https://allyshipinaction.com/upcoming-workshops/
