Tamastslikt

My brother and his wife came up this weekend from Boise to bring my beloved his new guitar. (my brother found a really nice Martin in one of the music stores in Boise - knowing my hubby was in the market for a new piece he called to let us know this one was pretty special and was priced reasonably. We sent a check in the mail and now it's here....perhaps more about that later.)

So last night we cooked green chilies and talked, made music, generally had a great visit.

Then today we headed over to Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, the Native American museum on the nearby reservation, adjacent to Wildhorse Casino.

Some "cultural interpretive centers" linked with Native American Casinos are little more than glorified gift shops. Tamastslikt, however, is the exception. It's really a very powerful place full of lots of significant displays and has been very well done.

It had been a couple years since the last time I visited the place so I expected there would be some changes, but I was quite astonished by how much they have added. Whether it be the information on the journey of Lewis & Clark, the history of Native American boarding schools, the impact of dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers or just the "day in the life" displays of tools, beadwork, etc it was all done exceptionally well.

I've been a museum junkie from way back and have been to my share of both big and small, grand and funky. This one is a real gem. For anyone travelling through Umatilla County, Oregon, I highly recommend it.