TAMASTSLIKT is pronounced "Tuh-must-slikt" meaning "interpreter" in the Walla Walla Indian language. In the Umatilla Indian language the meaning is "to turn over or to come around". Tamastslikt Cultural Institute was born out of a long-standing desire to preserve our history and tell our story.

Planning for the development of Tamastslikt actually received a boost from an event that occurred before the inception of the cultural institute. In 1985, then Governor Vic Atiyeh proposed a celebration in 1993 to commemorate the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Oregon Trail. A nine-member Oregon Trail Advisory Committee, in its 1989 recommendations, suggested the state develop plans for the celebration and encourage the development of four interpretive centers along the Oregon Trail at Baker City, on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, at the Dalles, and in Oregon City.

The development of the Institute followed an intricate process that, from the very beginning in 1988, involved tribal officials, tribal elders and the people of Pendleton. In July of 1989, Pendleton resident Steve Cory, President of the Oregon Trail Advisory Committee, suggested the construction of an interpretive center on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. People embraced the idea. Even those who questioned why the Confederated Tribes would build a monument to the most devastating event in their history understood the opportunity to present this epic story from an Indian perspective.

The Confederated Tribes formally adopted the concept of an Oregon Trail center with the condition that the Tribes would have complete control of the facility and the interpretive messages contained therein. Four committees, roughly half Indian and half non-Indian, were formed to focus on finance, public relations, facility development, and research and resources. Of approximately 80 people invited to participate, only one declined.

In 1990, the Tribes capped the first of many fund-raising campaigns. A master plan designated 80 acres of the 640-acre site for a commercial development to include a casino, a hotel, and an RV park, with the remainder of the parcel reserved for Tamastslikt and a golf course.

More than 600 donors have made the project possible, with contributions coming in the form of financial support, donations, and loans of artifacts, photographs, historical records, oral history information and review of concepts and plans.

Tamastslikt is more than a visitor attraction. The facility helps document and preserve traditions and practices that distinguish the Confederated Tribes from any other peoples. Ambient sounds and voices, along with historical photographs and contemporary video footage, have been combined to create an intriguing environment for the exhibits at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. Ispliyay (Coyote) leads the visitor through the museum; listen for him and his animal relatives in all three major galleries - We Were, We Are, and We Will Be.

In We Were, the Natitayt (people) depict the seasonal lifestyle that was typical on the Columbia Plateau for centuries. Illustrations, artifacts, and sounds take the visitor to another time.

Full-sized horses and riders view the panoramic river and distant horse herds from the basalt outcrop to represent the trademark horse culture of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla people. Listen for coyote's voice and news of his adventures in the Winter Lodge and Seasonal Round.

Prophecies, and later, foreign trade objects provide a prelude of things to come. A journey through Fort Nez Perce and the Mission Church precede tales of the massive migration of tired and hungry immigrants through the hospitable homeland. Intrusion, war, hangings, treaties, new schools and marked land characterize the next few decades until the horse herds and the languages of the Natitayt were nearly wiped out.

We Are explores the importance of veterans and the warrior tradition, extensive efforts to restore salmon, modern multi-cultural lifestyles, development of a tribal economy, participation in celebration events and Coyote's continuing role.

We Will Be voices the dreams, thoughts, hopes and concerns of the tribal community. Tamastslikt is more than a museum, however. The Museum Services wing at Tamastslikt is a living, breathing and constantly evolving entity that plays a significant role in how the Tribes and non-Indians define the past and prepare for the future. A variety of artifacts -- from prehistoric tools to beaded rosettes -- give visitors a glimpse into the material culture of the people telling their story at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. Artifacts tell a story if you read them well. They reflect what's important in a culture and what is important to an individual. The collection, more than 300 pieces, is on exhibit. Taking more than five years to collect, items were purchased, borrowed and given to Tamastslikt by tribal families, non-tribal individuals and institutions like the Field Museum in Chicago.

In addition to housing photos, books, documents, reports and other archival material relating to our history, the Archives and Research Library provide space for researchers to work with the materials. Archival staff duplicate photos from private collections and other sources for the growing collection, which contains more than 3,000 images. The photos are cross-referenced to provide information on such topics as families, clothing style, and key events.

Tamastslikt offers the use of its classroom in the Museum Services wing for cultural education activities. School groups are especially encouraged to make use of this unique educational opportunity to learn first-hand from the experts.

Tamastslikt also offers services including a café and gift shop. Shopping will take some time in the 3,200 square foot store, which features fine art and traditional crafts of the people of the Plateau and Pendleton Woolen Mills products, including two exclusive new blanket designs.

We may be a small group of people in a large, busy world, but we truly have a big story to tell. At the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, meet the people who have lived that story. Experience traditions that have sustained our people for generations. Learn why we have survived for more than 10,000 years. Discover why we will never fade.