Toppenish museum covers history of Yakamas

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Toppenish museum covers history of Yakamas

By LIZ MENDEZ
Herald staff writer

TOPPENISH - A culture that values living harmoniously with nature awaits to educate curious minds a mere hour from the Tri-Cities.

If expanding your cultural horizons sounds attractive, a day trip to the Yakama Nation Cultural Center surely will satisfy.

On the Yakama Indian Nation reservation, the center includes a museum, restaurant, gift shop, library, theater and recreational vehicle park.

The Treaty of 1855 recognized the land was reserved for the Yakamas, and now about 8,200 American Indians of various tribes make the reservation their home. The center recently celebrated its 17th anniversary.

At the entrance is a gift shop that sells the usual merchandise, including post cards, jewelry and sweatshirts, but with an Indian theme. Many of the items sold are made by Yakamas living on the reservation.

The center's restaurant not only sells traditional fare, such as hamburgers and salads, but also authentic Yakama food. Salmon and buffalo, staples in the Yakama diet, make up many of the meals.

But the real treasures of the center are found in the museum, which has been curated by members of the tribe for 17 years.

Using a variety of educational tools, such as detailed scenes and written stories on the walls, the museum tells the story of the Yakama culture, past and present.

Fully costumed mannequins are arranged in dioramas to portray how the ancient Yakamas hunted, lived and played, as well as illustrate tribal legends.

In some, stuffed bears, beavers and coyotes pose as though they were in their natural habitat. Above the museum's entrance, a huge buffalo head is mounted.

Bears pose in the fake wilderness while young Yakamas gather huckleberries to eat, and others camouflage themselves in coyote fur to hunt rabbits.

Other areas serve as shrines for Yakamas who made contributions to the center, as well as American culture. The period when Indian children were forced to attend boarding school and abandon their culture also is depicted with photographs. Take a peek at the recreated types of housing and tepees the Yakamas used.

The museum also offers books for all ages about the culture, as well as some of its legends.

The center's meeting room, housed in a tepee shaped building, is open for conventions, meetings, seminars and workshops. Visitors also can rent recreational vehicle space and some tepees overnight.

Museum admission is $4 for adults, $2 for students over age 11, $2 for senior citizens, $1 for kids 7-10 years old and 75 cents for kids 6 and under.

For more information, call the center at 509-865-2800.

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