A new educational program is reshaping how food safety knowledge is shared on the Warm Springs Reservation — and it does so by honoring, rather than overwriting, the preservation traditions that tribal families have practiced for generations.
Oregon State University Extension Service, working in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, has developed a culturally responsive curriculum that adapts the long-running Master Food Preserver program to meet the needs and values of Native communities across Oregon.
Blending Old and New
Traditional food preservation — drying salmon, preparing camas root, storing dried berries and game — is central to the culture and food sovereignty of the Warm Springs people. Past food safety education programs sometimes dismissed or contradicted Indigenous preservation methods, creating distrust and limiting participation.
The new curriculum takes a different approach.
“The program is more inclusive of traditional ecological knowledge, respecting — and not discrediting — traditional ways of preservation,” according to OSU Extension.
Developed collaboratively with tribal communities, the curriculum incorporates Indigenous perspectives on seasonality, harvesting, and preservation alongside modern food science. Rather than positioning Western food safety standards as superior, the program seeks common ground — helping community members understand the science behind both traditional and contemporary methods.
Why It Matters in Jefferson County
Food sovereignty — the right of a community to define its own food systems — is an issue of growing importance for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, particularly as wildfire, drought, and habitat change increasingly threaten traditional food sources like salmon, camas, and huckleberries in Central Oregon.
Programs that build on existing community knowledge rather than replacing it are seen as more effective and more likely to be embraced by tribal members. OSU Extension’s Warm Springs office has been a key partner in piloting the curriculum locally.
How to Get Involved
Residents of the Warm Springs Reservation and surrounding Jefferson County communities interested in food preservation workshops can contact the OSU Extension Service Warm Springs office for information on upcoming sessions. The Master Food Preserver program trains community volunteers to share food safety knowledge with their neighbors.
More information is available at extension.oregonstate.edu/warmsprings.