The Museum at Warm Springs (2189 Highway 26 in Warm Springs) will present a lecture by Diné (Navajo) elder Lupita McClanahan from the Navajo Nation on Tuesday, February 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. The Museum will host a reception to meet Lupita from 4 to 4:30 p.m. The reception and lecture are free and open to the general public.
Lupita McClanahan grew up at Tse’gi (Rock Canyon), which is now known as Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. She was raised in secrecy by her clan’s medicine people so she could avoid the boarding schools and keep her culture alive.
While the Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school system took Lupita away from her family and ancestral land, she used that experience to understand the contemporary world. She worked for years as a Park Service Ranger and has dedicated her life to building a bridge between the modern world and traditional Diné culture.
Lupita will share her life experiences and stories of “Living in Beauty in Difficult Times,” where she will talk about “Hozho” — or “The Beauty Way” — a core practice of the Diné people. This is a practice grounded in connecting to Mother Earth and Father Sky so that everything one does in life is done with the intention of creating beauty. Lupita will speak about her life, her relationship with the land, our relationships with one another, and how to move forward together.
“Lupita has an important message and valuable life lessons to share from Indigenous values and knowledge systems,” says Museum Executive Director Elizabeth Woody (Warm Springs, Yakama and Diné). “This will be a very special listening and learning opportunity and a wonderful way to begin the new year at The Museum.”
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Become a Museum Member
There are several levels of annual Museum Membership, which begin at $25 for elders and students. All Members receive these benefits: free admission for one year, 10% discount in the Museum Gift Shop and special invitations to exhibits and programs. In 2023, The Museum At Warm Springs joined the Oregon Historical Society Reciprocal Membership Program, now called the Northwest Attractions Alliance. This program encourages members of other museums and attractions in Oregon to visit our Museum and vice versa. Through this program, Museum Membership gives our Members free admission for a Member and three guests of any age to a different Oregon attraction each month. Each participating museum chooses a month to offer free entrance to all Members of participating museums/attractions. Join by visiting https://museumatwarmsprings.org/ and click “Join” to see Membership levels and online payment information. Or send a check to: The Museum at Warm Springs, P.O. Box 909, Warm Springs, OR 97761 (Attn: Membership).
About The Museum at Warm Springs
The Museum at Warm Springs opened its doors to the public on March 14, 1993 and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023. Built to Smithsonian Institution professional standards, The Museum’s mission is to preserve, advance and share the traditions, cultural and artistic heritage of The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon. Regular Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission: Museum Members (free), Adults ($7), Senior Citizens over 60 ($6), Students 13-18 with student body card ($4.50), Children 5-12 ($3.50) and Children 4 and younger (free). The Museum is located at 2189 Highway 26 in Warm Springs. Phone: (541) 553-3331. For more information, visit https://www.museumatwarmsprings.org/.
