Malheur River BioRegion

 

Flowing through Oregon’s high desert, the Malheur River Bioregion is a vital water source for agriculture and wildlife. Its extensive system of tributaries irrigates farmland, supporting crops like hay and grains while providing habitats for a variety of bird species. The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a key stopover for annual bird migrations, where dozens of species flock to the region’s vast wetlands. This bioregion serves as the perfect recovery zone, offering rest and food as they journey back to their summer haunts. People visit yearly to witness this life-giving spectacle.

 

This region holds significant cultural value, intertwining Indigenous history with the stories of early settlers. Decades ago, the Umatilla Indian Tribes, from their present reservation adjoining Pendleton, Oregon, made an annual migration from this homeland of theirs. They followed wildlife movements and habitats while gathering life-sustaining root crops and medicinal herbs. Today, this tradition is honored through the reservation’s annual Spring Root Festival at Yellowhawk, a reflection of times gone by.

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The Indigenous migration was a magnificent journey, much like the bird migrations that still take place today. Bioregionalism embraces a return to the ways of old—where people relied on the land, water, and its natural abundance for communal survival. It is time to return to that today. Bioregionalism is the way forward. Community elders led this Indigenous journey, which began in their nation’s (oyate) homeland. This homeland remains close to where the Snake River Bioregion completes its journey—beginning at the Continental Divide, flowing into the Columbia River near Pendleton, Oregon, and eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean. The tribes moved southeast from Yellowhawk near Pendleton toward the Owyhee River Bioregion, passing through the Malheur River Bioregion. Their path took them near Burns, Oregon, before heading east, then north again through Burnt River Canyon, north of both Vale and Ontario, Oregon—close to the Snake River Bioregion itself. This was a magnificent movement through each bioregion, utilizing the unique benefits of every landscape along the way.​ North of Farewell Bend, where the old Oregon Trail split, these Indigenous nations continued toward the Powder River Bioregion—possibly a century before white settlers made the same journey. The tribes, through centuries of travel, unknowingly guided the settlers’ path. At that time, they bypassed what is now Baker City, Oregon, which was then an expansive wetland, inhospitable to their journey.​ Their migration continued along what is now Interstate 84, a modern-day corridor of rapid travel—reflecting today’s cosmopolitan traditions, which often disregard the surrounding flora and fauna.​ The tribes eventually passed through what is now La Grande, Oregon, traversing the mountains and crossing the pass of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. They returned home to Yellowhawk near Pendleton, arriving well before winter, much like the migrating birds.

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Today, local efforts focus on balancing agricultural productivity with the responsible preservation of water resources, ensuring the region’s sustainability amid climate challenges and increasing water demands. Through bioregionalism, we can achieve far more than the convenience of modern cosmopolitanism—we can restore harmony between people and the land.