Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, Pendleton, Oregon

Museums in Oregon range from northwest cultural education to science. The Tamastslikt Cultural Institute in Pendleton, Oregon is a site for 10,000 years of history. The culture and hospitality of people for several decades is on display for visitors to learn about. The institute shares stories of the past up to the present. Interactive exhibits, special events, and the Living Culture Village are part of the facilities. The Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Tribes are examined in the displays. Their art work is on display for visitors to examine and be amazed at.

The Tamastslikt Cultural Institute is on Highway 331 in Pendleton. The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm. From November to March the museum is not open on Sundays, but the hours do remain the same. The Living Culture Village is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for seniors, children, and students. Children under 5 are free. They offer group rates, annual passes, and interpreters when needed.

Many of the exhibits remain at the center all year round. One traveling exhibit is "Through the Eyes of the Eagle.'' This exhibit will remain open until September 20th 2009. The display has been sponsored by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The exhibit has 65 original watercolors that were drawn by Native American children. The idea was a quest for health. Native Americans have had many healing remedies over thousands of years that have been passed down. These watercolors depict the stories of these remedies, their history, culture, and knowledge. The paintings were also used to create four storybooks about American Indians.

Events hosted throughout the year attract visitors each year. Throughout the year free Fridays are offered at the first Friday of every month. This year a wildlife biologist was in attendance with a Golden Eagle. Visitors were able to meet the bird and biologist.

An exhibit for July 11 to 12 2009 is the Color My World. This exhibit is about natural dyes used throughout history to make clothing, tapestries, and other offerings. Visitors are able to learn how the items were used and even make their own project. Spiritual Symbiosis discusses the Jesuit, Medicine Man, and the Power of Song. An assistant professor will be on hand July 25, 2009 for a speech discussing the history of healing. Dr. Chad Hamill belongs to a Spokane Tribe in Washington State. He has an insider's view of the culture, and has done his own research.

For 2009 the exhibits at the museum will all have something to do with health. Exhibits that remain throughout the year will depict the life and culture of Native Americans. These displays will be clothing, artifacts, and stories the culture has shared. For example a permanent exhibit is called "We Were.'' This display is an audio and video offering where the magical Coyote of Legend Time is told. Stories of the Natitayt people are also shared. Information on their diet, how they lived and where, is a part of the display at the museum.