The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs entered the Fourth of July weekend fresh off a major community milestone: the five-day celebration of the 171st anniversary of the 1855 Treaty of Warm Springs, held June 23–28 in Warm Springs.
The treaty, signed 171 years ago, established the Warm Springs Reservation and preserved the tribes' rights to fish, hunt, and gather at traditional locations throughout the region — rights that remain central to tribal identity and sovereignty today. The Pi-Ume-Sha Treaty Days celebration, held each year around the treaty signing anniversary, includes traditional drumming and dancing, a rodeo, family activities, and the gathering of tribal members and guests from across the Pacific Northwest.
This year's celebration drew tribal members together for five days of cultural continuity and community connection, according to reporting by the Madras Pioneer.
Fourth of July Fireworks Tonight
Following the Treaty Days celebration, Warm Springs now turns to the Fourth of July. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs host an annual 4th of July fireworks show on the reservation, listed on the tribal events calendar at warmsprings-nsn.gov.
Organizers ask spectators to stop using personal fireworks just before the community show begins so the professionally managed display can be conducted safely, according to KWSO 91.9, the tribal radio station. Specific time and location details are available through the tribal events calendar and KWSO (kwso.org).
Warm Springs in the Broader Context
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs — made up of the Warm Springs, Wasco, and Paiute peoples — are a major presence in Jefferson County's civic and economic life. Tribal enterprises include Warm Springs Power & Water, Warm Springs Composite Products, and Indian Head Casino.
The tribe has also been in the news nationally in recent years for its conservation work. In February, the Confederated Tribes received the federal statesmen award at the 2026 Wild Sheep Show in Reno for their decades-long work reintroducing California bighorn sheep to reservation lands. A herd reintroduced in 2002 has grown to more than 300 animals.
As both the Treaty Days observance and the Fourth of July remind us, the history and present of Jefferson County are inseparable from the history and present of the Warm Springs Reservation. For community event information and news, visit warmsprings-nsn.gov or tune to KWSO 91.9 FM.