Held each year on the fourth weekend in August.

This annual event marks the anniversary of the Restoration of the Klamath Tribes — which includes the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin (Numu Paiute) Indians.

The Restoration Celebration is one of the most important annual events on the Klamath Tribes' calendar — and Klamath Living invites everyone, native and non-native alike, to attend and honor the occasion.

For more info, visit klamathtribes.org/restoration-celebration.

What "Restoration" Means

The Klamath Tribes were federally terminated in 1954 — one of the most consequential federal-policy failures in American history, stripping the Tribes of their federal recognition, their land base, and many of the protections and services that come with sovereign-nation status.

Through decades of Tribal advocacy, federal recognition was restored in 1986.

That restoration is what this annual celebration commemorates. It's an annual marker of:

  • What was lost through termination
  • What was fought for during the decades of advocacy
  • What was won back through restoration
  • What continues as the Klamath Tribes thrive today

Schedule of Events

Pow-Wow (goos oLgi gowa)

The heart of the celebration — three days of traditional song, dance, drumming, regalia, and gathering.

Friday, August 25: Grand Entry at 7 PM Saturday, August 26: Grand Entry at 1 PM and 7 PM Sunday, August 27: Grand Entry at noon

Contact: Henry Rondeau (541) 783-2219, ext. 0 Contact: Charise Rich (541) 274-1168 (cell), nativeonestop@yahoo.com

Health Row

Held at Chiloquin Elementary School, Green Schoolyard.

Friday, August 25 — begins at 9 AM.

Contact: Tahnie Clark (541) 363-6813 · tahnie.clark@klamathtribalhealth.org

Run/Walk

Also at Chiloquin Elementary School, Green Schoolyard.

Friday, August 25: - Registration: 9 AM - Picture Lineup: 11:15 AM - Restoration Run/Walk: 11:30 AM - Lunch: 12:30 PM

Contact: Aislyn Ukpik, Diabetes Program Coordinator · (541) 827-5601 · aislyn.ukpik@klamathtribalhealth.org

Parade (2nd Street)

Saturday, August 26: - Line up: 9 AM at Chiloquin High School - Parade begins: 10 AM

Contact: Joseph Allen (541) 783-2219, ext. 195 or (541) 205-8353 · joseph.allen@klamathtribes.com

Royalty Court / Pageant

Contact: Candi Usesarrow (541) 238-4446 · Aiyana Reyes (541) 936-1624

Co-Ed Softball / Homerun Derby

Saturday, August 26 at 8 AM Sunday, August 27 at 9 AM

Contact: Kaneeta Kirk (541) 238-4492

How Non-Native Neighbors Can Attend Respectfully

The Klamath Tribes welcome non-native attendees at the Restoration Celebration. To attend respectfully:

  • Arrive early for Grand Entries — they are formal openings, not casual gatherings
  • Stand and remove hats during Grand Entries and any flag songs
  • Don't photograph without permission, especially during ceremonial moments
  • Don't touch regalia without explicit invitation — much of what dancers wear has been gifted, blessed, or carries family/ceremonial significance
  • Listen to MCs — they will explain protocols, songs, and dance categories
  • Buy from Tribal vendors at the celebration — supporting Tribal-owned businesses and artisans
  • Take guidance from the Tribal members hosting the event — they are the experts on their own ceremony

This is their celebration, in their territory, on the anniversary of their hard-won restoration. Attending as a respectful guest is the right posture.

Why This Matters for the Basin

The Klamath Basin we all call home is the ancestral and continuing territory of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin Peoples.

Their restoration in 1986 wasn't just an administrative milestone — it was the formal acknowledgment that the federal government had been wrong to terminate the Tribes in 1954, and that the Tribes were and are sovereign Nations with rights, lands, cultural traditions, and futures that must be honored.

For non-native Klamath Basin residents, attending the Restoration Celebration is one of the most meaningful ways to:

  • Demonstrate solidarity with the Tribes
  • Learn directly from Tribal members
  • Witness Tribal culture as living practice, not historical museum content
  • Spend tourism dollars that flow directly to the Tribes
  • Honor the land we share

Join Us

August 25, 26 & 27, 2023 Chiloquin, Oregon

klamathtribes.org/restoration-celebration

Thank you, Taylor Tupper

About The Klamath Tribes

The Klamath Tribes' primary mission is to "protect, preserve and enhance the spiritual, cultural and physical values and resources of the Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin Peoples by maintaining the customs of our ancestors."

The heart of Tribal life is centered in the area of Chiloquin, Oregon and includes 12 Departments, Health Clinic, Childcare Center, Tribal Court, goos oLgi gowa Center, Research Station, and three tribal enterprises.

The Klamath Tribes' 12 departments facilitate service delivery across health and fitness, education, economic development, social services, cultural preservation, natural resource protection, and more.

For more information visit klamathtribes.org.

See you August 25.