TAMÁSTSLIKT FREE SCHOOL FIELD TRIP DAYS

Designated dates in May and June, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, are available as free field trips with limited bus subsidies.

LEWIS & CLARK IN OUR CAMP, NOW BOOKING MAY-JUNE 2010

Every year Tamástslikt Cultural Institute offers Lewis & Clark activities in our camp around that season when Lewis & Clark made their 1806 eastbound return trip through our country. At that time, besides sharing several signs of hospitality with the visitors, Walúulapam chieftain Yellépt showed the expedition leaders the overland Indian route that would save them from making the arduous trek up the Snake River.

During LEWIS & CLARK IN OUR CAMP, school groups rotate through activity stations for approximately 3 hours plus a lunch period. Lunch space is available in the Multipurpose Theater.

  • Learn about the wildlife biology of raptor birds of prey, live on site through the auspices of Lynn Tompkins and Blue Mountain Wildlife.
  • Visit with the first-person interpreter of Sgt. Patrick Gass, the gregarious journal writer of the famed Corps of Discovery, and examine his trunk of mysterious artifacts.
  • Try your hand at playing the ancient stickgame as documented by the Lewis & Clark journals. Requires responding to instructions and communicating via clear gestures. Singing and drumming are optional.
  • Meet a traditional storyteller who shares an engaging repertory from the oral tradition of ancestral teachings.
  • Take turns throwing the atlatl, the ancient levered dart used by prehistoric hunters.
  • Touring the Tamástslikt museum is an option for school groups to self-tour during LEWIS & CLARK IN OUR CAMP. Teachers who wish to add a self-tour of the exhibits are invited to do so.

Contact the Education Coordinator at tci.education@tamastslikt.org to schedule a memorable excursion for 4th through 7th grades. Partial bus subsidies are also available thanks to the generosity of PACIFIC POWER.

When you visit Tamástslikt, be sure to try out our new public Kiosk in the lobby, made possible by the Oregon Museums grant program. The kiosk features the Alderman photograph collection. You can also view objects in our artifact collection.

TEACHER RESOURCES

4th Grade Study Guide:
Thanks to Barbara Ely, a teacher from Central Elementary in LaGrande, Oregon, for developing the study guide.

Other Plateau Indian Links:

  • Click here to read a Yakama woman's account about the traditional foods of the Sahaptin-speaking Plateau tribes.
  • Nez Perce National Historic Trail (website)
  • To see examples of stories from many Northwest Tribes, go to this website.
  • There are over 2,000 photographs available from the Library of Congress and State of Washington affiliates located here. (website)
  • The Tribes had place names for many locations in eastern Oregon and western Washington. Watch this site for the upcoming link.

THE TEACHER'S BROCHURE

The updated Teacher's Brochure is available to download or view PDF of the full-color TAMASTSLIKT TEACHER'S GUIDE, Click here. The brochure gives an overview of what is offered at Tamástslikt and offers connections to Oregon social studies benchmarks.

SCHOOL TOURS

Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is pleased to offer school groups one free hour of interpretive service for the cost of admission. The guided tour takes from 1 to 1-1/2 hours to complete. Upon completion, groups are free to go back through the exhibit at their own pace.

Rather than guided tours, groups of 90 and more may opt for the station set up (docent staffed hands-on displays with a 10 minute presentation at each). The 3 stations may include: traditional foods in the Seasonal Round; furs and hides in the Horse Era; beadwork and weaving in the Decline of the Horse section. Other activities are available by arrangement--Storytelling at $45 fee and Stickgame for $45.00.

ADMISSION

$2.00 per student is the education group rate for 10 and more persons from schools, colleges, youth groups, etc. Accompanying chaperones and teachers, no charge. Don't forget; Free First Fridays apply to school groups! Payable to Tamástslikt by cash, check or credit card. Please let us know in advance if you are paying with a purchase order.

  • Who
    Tamástslikt Education Coordinator
    Direct: (541) 429-7723
    General: (541) 966-9748
    Fax: (541) 429-7723
    email: tci.education@tamastslikt.org
    Free passes are available from the Education Coordinator for teachers wanting to make an advance planning trip to Tamástslikt. In addition, several public libraries in Umatilla and Morrow counties have free passes to Tamástslikt to lend to patrons.
  • When
    Tamástslikt is open from 9am to 5pm seven days a week, except closed Sundays November through the end of March.
    April to May reservations should be made a few weeks in advance.