The Meeting of Two Worlds:
Whitman Mission Museum

The current Whitman Mission museum was installed in the late 1980's. It is designed to assist the visitor's understanding of the two strong, vibrant cultures that met and eventually clashed at the Whitman Mission. The museum is not intended as a visitor's sole source of information about the park or the events that took place here. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the story of Whitman Mission, visitors should also view the audio-visual program and walk the park interpretive trails.

The museum is designed in a circle. The Whitman's culture and historical events are depicted in one half, the Cayuse's culture and historical events in the other. In the center is a display with life-size mannequins. Visitors enter the museum in the Cayuse half of the circle. The following paragraphs describe what visitors encounter if they proceed counter clock-wise.

Artifacts on the entrance wall, along with photographs, show a culture that was successfully using the area's animal and plant resources. At the time of the Whitman's arrival, the Cayuse had already acquired the horse. Their wealth was expanding and they were acquiring the best things the fur traders had to offer (metal axes, pots, knives, etc.). Trading supplemented traditional tools and weapons.

A large mural depicts a deer standing on a grassy plain surrounded by grass covered hills. This represents Waiilatpu before the arrival of the Whitmans in 1836. Originally this area was a prairie dominated by perennial grasses, such as bluebunch wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus wawawai). Within this prairie the Whitmans settled in an area covered with taller grass. Giant wild ryegrass, Leymus cinereus, is a native grass that grows 6-8 feet tall. Waiilatpu means "the place of the rye grass."

Beyond the mural begins the world of the Whitmans. The clock and rifle on the wall illustrate America's growing industrial might. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman were from an area in upstate New York that experienced a great religious revival in the early part of the nineteenth century. An enlarged photo copy of a Methodist newspaper shows the article that initiated the missionary drive into the Pacific Northwest.

Whitman was a well trained doctor for his time. Dr. Whitman's mortar is displayed in a case. Other cases contain his bible and compass.

A cupboard and surrounding area displays modern reproductions of the types of dishes, stove, and other utensils used by the Whitmans at Waiilatpu.

The Whitmans' only daughter drowned in 1839. After this loss the Whitmans took on the challenge of raising the children of others, including three children of fur trappers and native women, and the seven Sager orphans. On the wall are enlarged photographs of four of the Sager children as adults. Elizabeth Sager's toy cradleboard with doll is in a protective case.

In 1847, measles devastated the Cayuse tribe. Many Indians blamed the deaths on Dr. Whitman for his inability to cure the disease. Three years after the killings five Cayuse were hung for their alleged participation. Artwork and quotes illustrate the end of the Waiilatpu mission.

The visitor now re-enters the Cayuse half of the circle. After the deaths of the Whitmans the Cayuse tribe underwent profound changes. A treaty in 1855 attempted to put most of the tribes of eastern Oregon and eastern Washington onto reservations. Examples of traditional clothing, reservation era items, and examples of trade goods are displayed.

The last section brings the visitor back to the entrance of the museum and the entrance to the circle. This section depicts the seasonal round, showing how the Cayuse spent their year before Euro-Americans came into the area. Part of the year was spent in the mountains, part in the valley, and part by the rivers. The Cayuse were hunters and gatherers who used the wild plants and animals of these areas to survive and flourish.

The display in the center of the room contains many messages. The Cayuse are absorbing the European products into their culture. The attire of the Cayuse hunter is traditional with a few trade beads added for decoration. The young Indian woman leaning on the fence has clothing influenced by trade goods. The older Indian woman, who is using a wooden digging stick to dig koush roots, is wearing more traditional dress.

Some aspects are in conflict. The Cayuse medicine man is looking directly at the figure that represents Marcus Whitman. The new and the old ways of medicine stare at each other.

The little girl in the green dress represents the children of both white and Indian parents (typically a white father and Indian mother). Her dress is made from trade cloth. She is highly influenced by the Euro-American culture and is looking at the figure representing Narcissa Whitman.

The fur trappers and missionaries brought new goods and ideas to the Cayuse and other tribes in the Pacific Northwest. Certain goods and ideas were selected and integrated into the existing cultures. An exchange between two different worlds was occurring. For the Whitmans, miscommunication, rumors, and fear ended their participation in this process.

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Webmaster: Renee Rusler
Last modified on: January 31, 2004