Collections

The dream of a tribal collection for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon began over two decades ago.

In 1968, the tribal leadership and community recognized that private collectors and off-reservation institutions were buying much of their material culture. Soon thereafter, the Tribes began to allocate $50,000 per year for the purchase of artifacts from individual tribal members and families of the Warm Springs community. More than $1.5 million has been expended to date.

"Their effort represents perhaps the most aggressive acquisition program ever undertaken by an American Indian group," says The Smithsonian Institute. The collection includes family heirlooms, trade items from other tribes, bestowed gifts and keepsakes that have been passed on from generation to generation, making the collection one of the best and most complete material collections owned by an Indian tribe. There are noteworthy holdings of Pacific Northwest Native American paintings, sculpture, masks, ceremonial clothing, ritual implements, beadwork and historical archives.

In addition, the Museum's archives boasts 2,500 photographs dating from the 1850's to the present. The final component of the archive consists of important tribal documents and many books on a wide range of subjects on American Indian history, art and culture.