Tamástslikt Cultural Institute facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tamástslikt Cultural Institute

Tamástslikt Cultural Institute
Established	1998
Location	Pendleton, Oregon, United States
Type	Cultural museum

The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is a special museum and research institute. It is located on the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Pendleton in eastern Oregon. This institute is the only Native American museum you'll find along the famous Oregon Trail.

The museum focuses on the rich culture of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes. Its main exhibit tells the story of these three tribes and their reservation. There's also another hall for special, changing exhibits. These shows feature Native American art, crafts, history, and folklore from the tribes.

Discovering the Past: History of the Institute

In 1993, people celebrated 150 years of the Oregon Trail. This was a chance for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to share their own story. They wanted to build a center to tell the Oregon Trail story from a Native American point of view. They hoped it would also help the local economy.

The Tribes worked hard to get money for the center. They asked for federal funds, raised money locally, and got grants. But the government said no to federal funding for Native American interpretive centers. Soon after, the state of Oregon gave some lottery money for the project.

Sharing Native American History

In the summer of 1993, the Confederated Tribes showed a living history exhibit. It shared Native American history from before the Oregon Trail. On August 12, 1993, a wagon train celebrating the Oregon Trail was stopped. Native Americans on horseback met it at the Umatilla Indian Reservation border. This was to show how important the interpretive center was.

Antone Minthorn, a leader of the Tribes, spoke to the crowd. He explained that the Tribes had raised a lot of money themselves. He said the center was very important for the Tribes and the area. It would be a place for learning and research for everyone.

Building the Vision

In December 1993, the plans for the new center were shown. It would focus on the Tribes' life before Europeans arrived. It would also show their current reservation and their hopes for the future. A part of the exhibit would cover the Oregon Trail and its effects on tribal life.

In 1994, a U.S. Representative supported the center and asked for more funding. Community support grew, and a local newspaper shared details about the project. A large loan guarantee from the Bureau of Indian Affairs helped the Tribes start building.

Opening the Doors

On June 9, 1995, a special groundbreaking ceremony took place. Over 300 people attended. Tribal elders and young children helped with the ceremony. The building site was prepared by the Oregon National Guard.

Roberta Conner became the first director in 1998. She helped get everything ready. After ten years of planning, the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute opened. A special ceremony was held on July 24 for the tribal community. The public could visit starting July 31. In just three weeks, about 4,000 people came to see the new institute.

What's in a Name: Tamástslikt's Meaning

The museum was first going to have a very long name. But tribal elders decided a shorter name would be better. The name Tamásclikt was suggested by Átway Celia Bearchum. It comes from the Walla Walla North East Sahaptin language.

The word "Tamásclik" means "to turn over," like the turning of seasons or years. The English spelling is Tamástslik. Adding a 't' to the end changes it from a verb to a name. A language expert helped with the spelling. The final name, Tamástslikt (Tuh-must-slickt), means "interpreting our own story."

Our Purpose: The Institute's Mission

The main goal of the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is to keep the cultures and histories of the Native people alive. These are the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Tribes. The institute also aims to teach everyone about their cultures, histories, and modern lives.

Exploring the Institute: Facilities and Spaces

The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is a large building, about 45,000 square feet. It's built with native stone and wood. Inside, there are 15,000 square feet for permanent and temporary exhibits.

Other areas include special rooms for archives, a Research Library, a Museum Store, and the Kinship Café. There are also several meeting areas.

Meeting and Learning Areas

The institute has five public meeting areas. These include the Gallery, a Classroom, a Conference Room, and the Multipurpose Theater. There's also the Celilo Lobby, which is a large circular space. In the Coyote Theater, a guide named "Spilyáy, the magical coyote" introduces the gallery. The Celilo Lobby features a huge mural of Celilo Falls.

Treasures Inside: Collections and Artifacts

In 2003, the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute had over 2,500 artifacts. These are kept safely in vaults and the Research Library. In 2011, they added more items, including books and historical papers.

The collections include many different things. You can find baskets, tools made of stone, traditional clothing, and old glass plates. There are also audio and video recordings, tribal newspapers, and family records. The institute also has old and new photographs, and modern artwork and beadwork from community members.

Stories to See: Exhibits

The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute has amazing exhibits that tell the story of the tribes.

Permanent Exhibits: Our Story Through Time

The museum has three main exhibits that are always there: "We Were," "We Are," and "We Will Be." Spilyáy, the coyote guide from the Coyote Theater, helps tell the story in each exhibit.

• "We Were" shows what life was like before contact with Europeans. It has displays about the "Seasonal Round" and old artifacts. You can see a winter lodge, traditional clothing, and art. There's even a recreation of the 1855 Treaty Council of Walla Walla in the tribal language. The exhibits also have interactive presentations, horse displays, and models of a boarding school and a church.

• "We Are" shows tribal people today. It highlights them as soldiers, government leaders, and people who help save salmon. It shows how they balance modern life with their traditions.

• "We Will Be" shares the future hopes and concerns of the Confederated Tribes.

Temporary Exhibits: New Discoveries

The institute also has a special gallery for changing exhibits. These shows feature different parts of Native American history and culture. They often include work from other organizations and guest artists.

Current Exhibits

• “Scat & Tracks: The Messages Animals Leave Behind” (March 8 - June 2, 2013). This exhibit is great for kids and focuses on animal signs.

Upcoming Exhibits

• “Living Culture Village” (May 25 - September 2, 2013)
• “Ric Gendron: Rattle Bone” (June 14 - August 11, 2013)
• “‘Cowboys & Indians’ Suite of Prints by Andy Warhol" (August 23 - October 26, 2013)
• “Head to Toe: Language of Plateau Indian Clothing” (November 8 - January 4, 2013)

Previous Exhibits (since 2010)

Some past exhibits have included:

• “Tall-in-the-Saddle”
• “Cowgirls: Contemporary Portraits of the American West”
• “Honoring Our Veterans”
• “Native Kids Ride Bikes”
• “Artworkz, 2nd Annual Youth Art Show & Competition”

Fun for All: Special Events

The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute hosts many special events. These include Kids Day Camps, Craft Lessons, and Kids Powwows. They also have guest speakers who talk about museum work, sustainability, and economics.

Caring for Our Planet: Conservation and Sustainability

The institute works hard to protect the environment and be sustainable. In 2011, their Kinship Café stopped using Styrofoam and started using containers that break down naturally. They have also made improvements to the building to save energy. Over ten years, from 2003 to 2013, the institute greatly reduced its electricity and natural gas use.

The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute follows a "people, planet, and profit" approach. This means they think about how their actions affect people, the environment, and their finances.

Wind Power for the Future

A 50 kilowatt wind turbine is planned to be built in 2013. This turbine will help power the institute using clean energy. It shows the Tribes' support for wind power.

Who Runs the Museum: Museum Governance

The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is owned and run by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. In 2011, there were 2,860 enrolled members in the Tribes.

Working Together: Collaborations and Projects

The institute often works with other groups on important projects.

National Park Service

The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute has worked with the National Park Service on new films. These films are for places like Whitman Mission National Historic Site and Nez Perce National Historic Park. They also help store artifacts from the Frenchtown Historic Site.

Homeland Heritage Maps

The institute helped create a map called the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla Homeland Heritage Corridor map. They printed 300,000 of these maps in 2011.

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Working with the Confederated Tribes, the institute is helping to rename places in Oregon. They want to replace the word “squaw” with traditional indigenous names.

Sharing and Learning: Partnerships

In 2005, the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute partnered with the Oregon Historical Society and Washington State Historical Society. This means members of any of these museums can visit the others for free. This partnership celebrated the Lewis and Clark bicentennial and the Walla Walla Treaty Council sesquicentennial. The museums have also worked together before, sharing exhibits and artifacts.

Images for kids

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  Tamástslikt Logo

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  The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute