Northwestern Band Of The Shoshone Nation’s Vice Chairman Brad Parry Named Inaugural Winner Of Schnitzer Prize Of The West (Photo) - 04/29/26

Leading one of the largest ecological and cultural restoration projects in the American West, Parry receives the pre-eminent prize awarding collaboration in solving environmental challenges in the region

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Bend, OR — April 29, 2026 — The inaugural Schnitzer Prize of the West was awarded to Brad Parry, the Vice Chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation in Ogden, UT and leader of the Wuda Ogwa Cultural and Land Restoration Project. The $50,000 award granted by the High Desert Museum in Bend, OR is the first of its kind in the American West, celebrating and honoring uncommon collaboration and innovation in solving the legacy challenges of the region. Parry will receive the prize during a ceremony in Portland, OR on May 16, 2026.

Parry was awarded for his leadership transforming the site of the 1863 Bear River Massacre in Preston, Idaho, where more than 400 tribal members were killed in one of the deadliest acts of violence against Native Americans in U.S. history, into a place of ecological and cultural healing. When the Tribe purchased the 350-acre site from private owners in 2018, it also became an opportunity to bring wider awareness to a long-overlooked piece of history.

“How we view the restoration is a project not just of restoring the land, but restoring the spirit of forgiveness, and that starts with a small seed. We bring volunteers that come out to plant those seeds, and when they plant it, they bring new friends and family with them. Restoration brings brightness, hope, resilience, and remembrance, but most of all, it brings forgiveness of the past to continue forward in the future. And that’s what this project is,” says Rios Pacheco, Northwestern Shoshone spiritual leader.

Through his collaborations with Tribal members, local farmers and ranchers, academics, state and local governments, and community groups, Parry has built one of the most efficient models of watershed restoration in the American West. Despite scarce resources, ongoing institutional and local tensions, and financial restraints, Parry’s work is successfully restoring the land to its natural state by putting the creek back in its historic path and removing what didn't belong. Under his leadership, the project is removing invasive species, planting more than 70,000 native plants, restoring wetlands, and freeing the flow of a Bear River tributary. Water is now able to flow more freely downstream, benefitting local farmers, neighboring communities, and ultimately the Great Salt Lake—returning an estimated 10,000 acre-feet of water annually to the lake, which is in its own ecological crisis due to a climate-driven drought. Also central to the restoration project is Parry’s vision for a Cultural Interpretive Center, which will memorialize the site’s history as a landmark to the Northwestern Shoshone’s resilience and their long journey to federal recognition.

“Brad’s visionary leadership is critical to this project's success. He’s deeply engaged with local biologists, ecologists, and engineers, as well as community groups like the Youth Coalition for Great Salt Lake. He understands that this work is intersectional, and he's brought together a coalition of stakeholders to make this ambitious project possible,” says Katie Newburn, Education Director of FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake. 

Launched in partnership with Jordan D. Schnitzer and the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, the inaugural Schnitzer Prize of the West celebrates Parry, his uncommon collaborations, and his innovative response to the urgent issues of sovereignty, ecological restoration, and water security. As the 2026 Prize Winner, Parry’s work illustrates a model for others across the region and the nation to follow.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to be the inaugural recipient of the Schnitzer Prize of the West, a recognition I proudly accept on behalf of the Wuda Ogwa project. This achievement embodies the resilience and unity of our Tribe, our people, and our community, building upon the legacy of those who came before us. At its heart, this work is driven by a steadfast commitment to caring for our land, revitalizing our connection to history and culture, and building bridges with other communities—an essential responsibility we must uphold for our future generations,” said Schnitzer Prize of the West 2026 Winner Brad Parry.

“The Schnitzer Prize of the West celebrates remarkable individuals working together collaboratively to compromise and forge policies that benefit us all, and not just for us and our children, but generations to come,” said Jordan D. Schnitzer, President of Schnitzer Properties and the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation.

Parry’s nomination was selected by an esteemed panel of 13 advisors with deep backgrounds in tribal leadership, ranching and farming, water policy and river restoration, and prominent academic centers focused on the American West. The panel evaluated nearly 100 nominations across 12 states. 

Among the nominations, the Advisory Committee also recognized four finalists—Amy Bowers Cordalis, Talent, OR; Kelley Delpit, Bend, OR; Julie Rentner, Chico, CA; and Laura Van Riper, Bend, OR—who will each receive a $2,500 cash prize during the Portland ceremony on May 16. More information on the selection committee and finalists are available on the High Desert Museum’s website.

Administered through the High Desert Museum, the Schnitzer Prize of the West will begin accepting new nominations in May 2026. Nominations for consideration for the 2027 Prize must be received by December 31, 2026 to be eligible. Nominees not selected in one cycle remain eligible in future cycles.

For more information on the Schnitzer Prize of the West, nominations, eligibility, and award cycles, please visit highdesertmuseum.org/schnitzer-prize.

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About Schnitzer Prize of the West 2026 Winner Brad Parry

Brad Parry is the Vice Chairman for the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, where he also serves as the Tribe’s natural resource officer, currently managing and directing the Wuda Ogwa restoration project.  He is actively involved as a member of the Weber River Commission, the Bear River Commission, the Jordan River Commission, the Great Salt Lake Advisory, and the University of Utah’s Board for Native Excellence and Tribal Engagement.  Brad spent over 16 years with the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, focusing on water quality improvement and Colorado River Basin salinity control. Brad spent his formative years in Syracuse, Utah, near the Great Salt Lake, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication from the University of Utah.  In his spare time, he enjoys golf, fishing, music, spending time with his family, and teaching about his cultural heritage.

About Jordan D. Schnitzer and the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation

Jordan Schnitzer has a vibrant legacy supporting the High Desert Museum. He is the visionary and sponsor of the Schnitzer Prize of the West.

Through the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, Jordan carries on the legacy of his late parents and their belief that “to whom much is given, much is expected.” Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the CARE Foundation and its leaders have given over $300 million to fund hundreds of nonprofit projects that touch lives and enrich communities.

Schnitzer is also a prominent West Coast businessman. He is President and CEO of Schnitzer Properties, one of the West Coast’s Top 10 private real estate owners with offices in six Western states. Schnitzer is also an ARTnews Top 200 Art Collector globally and shares his vast contemporary art collections at no charge to museums and institutions and supports accompanying programming, educational opportunities and publications.

About the High Desert Museum

The High Desert Museum opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Submission Window Open Through May 1 For The Waterston Desert Writing Prize (Photo) - 04/21/26

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

BEND, OR — The clock is ticking for desert-inspired nonfiction writers! The High Desert Museum is calling for entries for the 12th annual Waterston Desert Writing Prize. Writers dedicated to exploring the ecological and cultural narratives of arid landscapes have until May 1, 2026, at 11:59 pm to submit their proposals for a chance at the $3,000 award and a creative writing residency at PLAYA in Summer Lake, Oregon.

This prestigious award, a program of the High Desert Museum, celebrates proposals for outstanding literary nonfiction dedicated to the literal and figurative exploration of desert landscapes. This year’s winner will also be recognized with a reception and reading at the Museum in Bend, Oregon, on September 17, 2026. Tickets are available now at highdesertmuseum.org/waterston-ceremony-2026.

“Now in its 12th year, the Waterston Desert Writing Prize continues to elevate stories that honor the complexity of arid landscapes,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “We are eager to discover new, eloquent voices that challenge and expand our understanding of these vital ecosystems.”

Charles Hood, winner of the Obsidian Award in 2025 and a five-time finalist for the Waterston Desert Writing Prize, will serve as the 2026 guest judge. A poet and essayist with more than a dozen books to his name, Hood has been a factory worker, a ski instructor, and a birding guide in Africa. His recent books include Nocturnalia, an appreciation of nature after dark, and the essay collection A Salad Only the Devil Would Eat: The Joys of Ugly Nature, which was named the Nonfiction Book of the Year by Foreword book review. A lover of wildlife and travel, Hood has been to all 50 states and about 70 countries – from the high Arctic to the South Pole and from Tibet to West Africa to the Amazon. He has been a guest lecturer at Cambridge University and the Getty Art Museum.

The Prize was established in 2014, inspired by author and Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston’s love of the High Desert — a region that has been her muse for more than 50 years. The Waterston Desert Writing Prize celebrates writers whose nonfiction book proposal reflects a similar connection to a desert anywhere in the world.

“The Waterston Desert Writing Prize serves as a catalyst for discovery, the writers’ and, ultimately, the readers’,” said Waterston. “It brings to the fore new perspectives on everything from the ‘desertification’ of our oceans to the ingenuity of desert flora and fauna to the human narratives that are inscribed across these landscapes. Most of all, it celebrates the wisdom and generosity of deserts ready to teach what we need to know if we’d but listen.”

Emerging, mid-career and established nonfiction writers who illustrate artistic excellence, sensitivity to place and desert literacy with the desert as both subject and setting are invited to apply. The award supports literary nonfiction writers who are completing, proposing or considering the creation of a book-length manuscript. It is recommended that the writing sample submitted is part of the proposed project or closely represents it in content and style.

Past winners of the Prize include Heather Quinn (2025), Leath Tonino (2024), Anna Welch (2023) and Caroline Tracey (2022). A nonfiction writer and photographer, Quinn’s submission This is How You Disappear proposed a book-length essay blending personal narrative, reportage and historical research to explore trauma, ecological collapse and memory in the California desert, particularly around the Salton Sea. They were joined by keynote speaker Dan Flores, Ph.D., and guest judge Beth Piatote, Ph.D.

To learn more about the Waterston Desert Writing Prize and how to submit an entry, visit highdesertmuseum.org/waterston-prize.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM: 

The HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2025 recipient of the Autry Public History Prize from the Western History Association and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. 

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A Decade Of Discovery: High Desert Museum Celebrates 10 Years Of Little Wonders Program; Partnership With NeighborImpact Head Start Provides Free Memberships For Hundreds Of Central Oregon Families (Photo) - 04/08/26

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

BEND, OR—Each year, the Little Wonders program at the High Desert Museum transforms galleries and hallways into a space of first-time experiences for Central Oregon families. Now celebrating its 10^th anniversary, this collaborative program in partnership with NeighborImpact’s Head Start continues its mission of fostering community engagement by gifting annual memberships to families who might otherwise never step foot inside the Museum.

Little Wonders Family Nights create a special evening for families, friends and teachers to enjoy dinner, explore Museum exhibitions and engage in fun, hands-on activities—creating lifelong memories and providing access to a cultural institution they otherwise couldn’t afford to visit. This year’s events take place April 2 and April 9.

“As we celebrate 10 years of Little Wonders, we’re especially grateful to our partners at NeighborImpact Head Start and our sponsors,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “Together, we’ve helped create meaningful, shared experiences for families across Central Oregon—ensuring the Museum is a place where every child can feel welcome and inspired by our exhibitions, wildlife, and shared history.”

The Museum welcomes families from the Head Start program in Bend, La Pine, Sisters, Redmond and Prineville to these special evenings. Every family that registers for a Little Wonders Family Night, whether they can attend the event or not, receives a two-year family membership to the Museum. In 2025, the Museum gifted nearly 400 memberships.

"Ten years ago, we believed that every child—no matter their family's circumstances—deserved to stand in front of a living eagle, touch a piece of obsidian, and feel the wonder of discovery,” said Kim Brown, director of NeighborImpact Head Start. “A decade later, Little Wonders has proven something bigger than we imagined. When community partners come together around our most vulnerable kids, the ripple effects last a lifetime. We are more hopeful than ever about what the next 1o years will bring.”

NeighborImpact Head Start is a comprehensive early childhood program that supports children and families from prenatal stages through age five. Head Start and Early Head Start programs focus on preparing children for success in school while also equipping families with the tools, confidence, and support systems they need to help their children thrive long term.

The programs serve more than 600 children and their families across Central Oregon—a significant expansion from earlier years when the program served fewer than 300. That growth reflects both increased community need and a deep commitment to reaching more families with high-quality early learning opportunities.

In 2016, a conversation began between the Museum and NeighborImpact. From a shared commitment to family engagement and early learning, both organizations recognized that access to hands-on, enriching experiences outside the classroom is critical for young children. The program includes Museum access for participating families, funding for transportation, and two welcome nights of community engagement and educational exploration.

The impact of Little Wonders Family Nights at the Museum is evident in the way students light up as they spot one another—and especially their teachers—throughout the galleries. Many rush to greet familiar faces, and their enthusiastic reactions underscore the strength of those relationships and their role in helping children feel comfortable and engaged at the Museum.

“From the beginning, there was strong enthusiasm from local families to participate in the program,” said Whitelaw. “On our first Little Wonders night, we hosted 1,000 people. With the support of NeighborImpact staff, Museum educators, and our sponsors, we continue to create a welcoming, accessible experience for families.”

Little Wonders is made possible by Papé Family Foundation, RWN Foundation, Latino Partnership Program, Columbia Bank Community Impact Fund, NewSun Energy and Meta, with support from the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and MDU Resources Foundation.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM: 

The HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2025 recipient of the Autry Public History Prize from the Western History Association and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. 

ABOUT NEIGHBORIMPACT:

NeighborImpact is a nonprofit serving Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Since 1985, we have worked across Central Oregon to meet essential needs, strengthen economic stability and expand access to opportunity. Programs span early childhood education, housing and homelessness services, energy assistance, food access and financial empowerment—supporting thousands of individuals and families each year. NeighborImpact partners with communities to create lasting, locally driven solutions that help people and places thrive. Learn more at www.neighborimpact.org.

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The Hands That Feed: New Art Exhibit At Museum Highlights Farm Workers; Bold Murals, Animation, And Immersive Experiences Reveal The People Whose Work Brings Food From The Field To Our Tables (Photo) - 04/06/26

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, April 6, 2026  

BEND, OR — A new exhibit at the High Desert Museum features vibrant murals, hand-drawn animations and freestanding, hand-painted art that offer a window into the daily lives of the people who harvest the fresh fruits and vegetables we bring to our tables. Opening Saturday, April 11, Miguel Almeida: Las Manos que dan de Comer (Miguel Almeida: The Hands That Feed) portrays everyday workers and community figures whose labor often goes unseen. 

Almeida, 33, comes from a long line of farm workers, a primary source of his artistic inspiration. Growing up amid the fertile fields of the Owyhee and Snake River valleys of Idaho—where he worked alongside his mother during some summers—shaped his connection to the land and the people who work it, themes central to the murals he creates around Boise, Idaho, where he is based.  

The art of this first-generation Mexican American prompts visitors to think not only about where our food comes from but also about the people who labor in the fields that sustain us. 

“The Museum explores how people and the landscape shape one another, and Miguel Almeida’s work brings that relationship to life in a powerful way,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “His images center the farm workers, inviting visitors to consider the human stories behind what often feels like an invisible process. The exhibition aims to open important conversations about conservation, land use, and agricultural practices through the perspectives of the people who are closely connected to the land.” 

The exhibition entrance signals a shift into this world. The gallery façade is transformed with bold color—pinks, teals, yellows and purples influenced by the artist’s visits to Mexico and fascination with the country on everything from architecture to pastries. Inside the roughly 1,000-square-foot space, large-scale murals anchor the gallery. 

At the center of the gallery, a hand-painted cutout figure of a worker more than 10 feet tall is surrounded by soil. The scent of the earth and ambient audio of field sounds further immerse visitors in that landscape. On either side of the gallery, hand-painted animations play. One follows a farmworker through the rhythms of a workday—from family life to the fields in all kinds of weather. The other traces the path of harvested food into the modern supply chain, contrasting the experiences of agricultural labor with the everyday act of shopping at a grocery store. 

“My hope, through this work, is that people make a connection to who is doing the hard work to feed us,” Almeida said. “I wanted to take it a step further and make sure we aren’t just reduced to a ‘labor force.’ We are also humans, with hopes and dreams who are here out of necessity to provide a better life for our children.” 

The exhibition, translated into Spanish by Almeida, came about after Dustin Cockerham, Senior Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at the Museum, discovered Almeida’s work while on a motorcycle trip in Idaho. Outside of Boise, he was struck by the smell of onions and produce from nearby fields when a mural caught his attention—its bold colors and stylized figures standing out against the working farmland. He began seeing more murals around the city, discovered it was the same artist, and contacted him. 

“There’s almost a comic-book superhero element to it,” Cockerham said. “It's a very contemporary style, influenced by skateboarding culture while also drawing from Mexican folk traditions. What’s compelling is how the artist uses this to illuminate bigger issues—our food systems, the land, agriculture—through the lens of the people whose labor is at the center of it.”   

Miguel Almeida: Las Manos que dan de Comer (Miguel Almeida: The Hands That Feed) is open through Sunday, October 11. It is made possible by the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, with support from Central Oregon Radiology Associates. 

ABOUT THE MUSEUM:  

The HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2025 recipient of the Autry Public History Prize from the Western History Association and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.  

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