Chachalu Museum and Culture Center

Quick Facts

MANAGED BY:

Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde

Amenities

5 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Parking - Auto, Tactile Exhibit

Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums

Visitor Centers (shown in orange), High Potential Historic Sites (shown in black), and Pivotal Places (shown in green) along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

The Chachalu Museum and Culture Center strives to tell the story and celebrate the Tribes and Bands of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community. Located in Grand Ronde, OR, the Yamhill Kalapuya people once called the Grand Ronde Valley Chachalu, meaning “place of the burnt timbers” for the large forest fire that ravaged the area shortly before the United States Government imparted a forced relocation of Native Tribes in 1856. Like the forests and salmon in the rivers, the Confederated Tribes have survived, endured, and returned to their homeland where their way of life has been revitalized. 

The resiliency of the Tribes and the history of their lands and cultures serve as the integral message highlighted across exhibits. Self-guided or staff-guided tours of the museum by Tribal members take visitors through galleries and artifacts of ceremonial items which are still used in rituals today, like as hand-carved canoes. The in-museum app, “Chinuk Wawa”, was created by the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community and has a selection of quizzes, games, songs, and stories that aid in teaching the Chinuk Wawa language to visitors. 

For current exhibits and hours, please visit https://www.grandronde.org/history-culture/culture/chachalu-museum-and-cultural-center/.