April 4, 2022: We Moved the Warm Springs Commissary!
the commissary: where culture, economy, and community converge.
Breaking New ground
Building new foundations
starting a new journey
The Commissary, reclaimed. Once a symbol of dependence, the Commissary will become an economic engine nurturing native-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, and uplifting the community in the process. The impact of the Commissary is deep and outsized – extending far beyond its 5,000 square feet.
Overall, The Commissary Project will:
Successful businesses are not born, they are made. And to thrive they need a set of supportive factors – an ecosystem –from infrastructure such as office and retail space, to visibility and access to customers and markets, to mentorship and networking and more. The Commissary and Economic Grounds at the Commissary address the gaps in our local ecosystem.
Much more than a building, the Commissary anchors visitors and local community members to the cultural, social and economic identities of the Confederated Tribes, while inspiring all who visit to reimagine what is possible. Its outside spaces and multiple uses extend its value far beyond its walls. Out with the old – or, rather, the old is reincorporated back in to be a creative space elevating the cultural, social and economic identities of Warm Springs and its unstoppable evolution. Community process is at the core of this project, and it capitalizes on the many local assets of the Confederated Tribes – resourcefulness, creative capital and generosity. Effective placemaking is both grounding in that it deeply anchors you to a place, while inspiring you to reimagine what is possible. Placemaking is collective potential realized and anticipated.
Currently, the public sector dominates the local economy yet research on reservation-based economics confirms a robust and growing private sector is critical. The Commissary increases self-sufficiency and economic choice. A stronger private sector provides more opportunities for influence over the wealth trajectory of not just individuals but of entire communities. With each business we create or strengthen, the more resilient our community becomes. Resiliency disrupts dependence.