January 15 - April 18
A LITANY OF SALMON
 The new gallery exhibit by watercolor artist Eileen Klatt explores what has been lost regionally of the salmon species of the Pacific Northwest river system. Each life-sized painting of two spawning salmon is dedicated to a river and species. The exhibit features 30 watercolor paintings accompanied by a written litany. The artist traveled more than 2,000 miles and visited every tributary stream of the Columbia River in order to document the once-magnificent fish runs. Ms. Klatt grew up in the heart of the Columbia River Basin and received her Master of Fine Arts in painting and drawing from Washington State University in 1990. Her exhibit is the culmination of 12 years of salmon research and field work in the Columbia River Basin. The image is of the extinct Walla Walla River chum. 		 
 

January 20 - March 28
SEASONAL SUNDAY CLOSURE

From November through March, Tamastslikt Cultural Institute is closed on Sunday. In addition, the Kinship Cafe is closed ALL WEEKEND every weekend until April.

   

March 5
LIVE RAPTORS ONSITE 1:00-5:00pm

BLUE MOUNTAIN WILDLIFE joins with Tamastslikt for FIRST FRIDAY, free admission day. Lynn and Bob Tompkins bring several live birds of prey to the lobby of Tamastslikt. Lynn presents an awesome talk about wildlife biology or just visits one-on-one with our guests. It's a wonderful opportunity to view birds that you will only catch a fleeting glimpse of in the wild--owls, falcons, hawks, and Ulla the golden eagle.
www.bluemountainwildlife.org

   

May 14 - July 9
FORGET-ME-NOT: MOTHERS AND SONS

Marie Watt, Seneca artist, states, "Forget-me-not is about memory, story, and devotion. In part, it stems from my disinclination toward the abstraction of war by the modern media." The Iroquois concept of “mother” is broad, extending from one’s mother through a long line of women. She views Forget-Me-Not as a continuing dialog. "I asked the men I know to suggest women who were significant to them to include in this work." It consists of weblike constructions of portraits of soldiering sons and their mothers. "Some of these women were mothers in the physical sense; others gave to our culture in other ways." Ms. Watt's work draws from indigenous design principles and oral tradition. She uses a vocabulary of natural materials (stone, wool, cedar, cornhusks,) and forms (blankets, pillows, bridges) that are universal to human experience. Her large-scale works bring about an intimate focus.

UPCOMING PUBLIC PROGRAMS: Ms. Watt confesses, "I don't seem to be able to do small projects. Consequently, I have come to depend on the hard work and good will of others to help me make them." Sewing circles have been convened for past works. What idea will the artist dream up for the exhibit run at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute?
http://mkwatt.com/images/uploads/mkw_forget-me-not.pdf

   

July 23 - January 31
TALL IN THE SADDLE: 100 YEARS OF THE PENDLETON ROUNDUP

An exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Pendleton Round-Up is under development by the Oregon Historical Society, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, and author Michael Bales. It will premier in Portland, Oregon, and make its way to Pendleton in time for the exciting 100th event.

   

August 6 - September 22
HERE FOREVER: Annual Tribal Art Show

Once again, the creative spirits and expressions of descendants of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla peoples are brought to share among the community. Most forms of art are accepted in the annual tribal art show. They are judged by their artistic and technical merit and their relation to the theme of "Here Forever." In addition, the public is welcome to submit up to three relevant objects for display in the PRECIOUS GIFTS sharing zone.

   

August 21
SALMON WALK: KIDS' MINI-HEALTH FAIR

Once again from 10am to 12 noon, Tamastslikt will host a mini-health fair for children with the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center and the Tribal wellness program. The theme is establishing healthful habits while young for a lifetime pattern. Fun activities for kids will address diet, nutrition, and exercise. Kids earn stickers for participating at all stations, winning a chance in the noon prize drawing. The mini-health fair is nested in the annual Salmon Walk in which the Tribes' Department of Natural Resources sponsors fun walks, bike rides, and a variety of family activities.

   

WE WERE

Watch and listen for Spilyáy, the magical Coyote of Legend-Time. Find Spilyáy in Tamástslikt’s major galleries: We Were, We Are and We Will Be. Tamástslikt is a storyline museum and therefore does not merely document artifacts.

In the SEASONAL ROUND, the Natítayt (the people) follow the pre-contact lifestyle of subsistence in the abundant natural world, reflecting its balance and order. Ambient sounds take the visitor to another time.

Visitors will hear horses rumbling across the grassy plateau, storytellers in the winter lodge, the bell and worshipers in the church. They will hear a recreation of the 1855 Treaty Council of Walla Walla in the tribal language. Audio, artistry and historic images, rare and beautiful artifacts create a broad sensory experience depicting our Tribal world.

    

WE ARE

American Indians didn't live only in the past. Tribal people have survived and thrive in the contemporary world. Cháwna mun Na’ámta--We will never fade. WE ARE features our resilient people as soldiers and warriors, players in the tribal government and economy, strivers for salmon recovery success, modern and traditional in our lifestyles, and still abiding by the Law of the Salmon.

    

WE WILL BE

Dreams, visions, hopes and concerns of the tribal community are voiced in WE WILL BE.