From Sense of Place:
By Sarah Fox
Hood River, Ore. Nov. 11, 2026 — Sense of Place continues its 17th official season on Thursday, November 18, 2026, with Talking Trees: Family and Timber with Brothers Phil and Steve Rigdon.
Talking Trees will take place at Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River, Oregon, at 7 p.m.
As members of the Yakama Nation, the Rigdon brothers grew up camping, fishing, and picking huckleberries in Yakama forests. Today, Phil heads the Yakama Nation’s Natural Resources Department while Steve, after a career with the tribally owned company Yakama Forest Products, manages tribal partnerships for Sustainable Northwest. Join Steve and Phil as they reminisce about the forests they knew and look forward to those that could be.
About the Speakers:
Phil Rigdon is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Since 2005, he has served as Superintendent of the Yakama Nation Department of Natural Resources, overseeing forestry, fisheries, wildlife, water, and land management across the Yakama Reservation and the Nation's ceded lands in south-central Washington. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management from the University of Washington and a Master of Forestry from the Yale School of the Environment, and he is a leading voice in wildfire-resilient forest management that draws on both Western forestry training and traditional ecological knowledge. He currently serves as Vice President of the Intertribal Timber Council (and previously served as its President). Phil has testified before Congress on tribal forestry, wildfire, water rights, and treaty resource issues and currently oversees one of the largest tribally managed forest, fisheries, and irrigation operations in Indian Country.
Steve Rigdon is the Tribal Resource and Stewardship Manager at Sustainable Northwest, a position that draws on his deep professional and cultural connection to the region's natural resources. A member of the Yakama Nation, Steve previously served as the General Manager of Yakama Forest Products. His expertise spans forest stewardship, community well-being, and integrating traditional knowledge with contemporary economic opportunities. Steve has been recognized for his leadership in environmental preservation and for his expertise on the growing market for tribal timber products, including recent collaborations like Portland International Airport's new terminal ceiling.
Event Details:
Talking Trees: Family and Timber with Brothers Phil and Steve Rigdon
When: Thursday, November 18, 2026 Doors 6 p.m., Show 7 p.m.
(If the event is sold out, unclaimed seats will be released to the in-person waitlist at 6:45 p.m.)
Where: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave., Hood River, OR 97031
Livestream access included with ticket purchase.
Tickets: Available online at senseofplacegorge.org.
Advance purchase is encouraged.
About Sense of Place:
For 17 years, Sense of Place has connected people through place and storytelling. Our flagship speaker series features individuals with unique knowledge of the Columbia River Gorge and explores the natural and cultural history that has shaped this region. Guests include scientists, tribal members, authors, farmers, and many others from throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Learn more about Sense of Place, explore our online archive, and subscribe to our newsletter at senseofplacegorge.org or follow @senseofplacegorge on Instagram.
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