Homeland and Place Names

Bobbie Conner of Tamástslikt Cultural Institute talks about the native languages of this region and the names given to landmarks and areas in these languages.

Questions for students: What are the three tribes making up the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation? What are the three languages traditionally spoken by these tribes? What kind of information could be learned about a place from its name? What is one native word or name you would like to remember?


First Foods

Bobbie Conner and Randal Melton of Tamástslikt Cultural Institute talks about traditional foods, how they were hunted or gathered, and their importance in tribal life in the past as well as today.

Questions for students: What are some foods you learned about in this video? Why would the tribes move around from place to place? What did Salmon say, according to the creation story? What are some tools or weapons used for getting food? How could foods be preserved, and why do you need to preserve them? How would men and women contribute differently to getting the tribes ready for winter?


Welcoming Lewis & Clark

Bobbie Conner of Tamástslikt Cultural Institute describes the Walla Walla People meeting Lewis and Clark.

Questions for students: Who was the chief that greeted and spoke with Lewis and Clark? What was the ceremony and dancing about? How and why did Lewis and Clark view it differently than the Indians? What were the Expedition’s goals? What was the significance of the Nez Perce delegation?


The 1855 Walla Walla Council and Treaty

Bobbie Conner and Randall Melton of Tamástslikt Cultural Institute discuss the 1855 Treaty Council and the Treaty’s effects on the life of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Questions for students: About how much land did the tribes consider their homeland? How much land was promised in the Treaty as a reservation? What was an argument the government made to the Indians for why a reservation was necessary? How is the treaty still relevant today?


The Lloyd Family and their Indian Neighbors

Fort Walla Walla Museum's Lloyd Collection features many Plateau Indian items like woven bags, beadwork, and baskets. The collection documents decades of positive relations between the Lloyd family and their Indian neighbors. Artifacts from this collection are on display in rotation at Fort Walla Walla Museum.

Questions for students: Why did Palouse Chief Big Thunder and settler Albert Lloyd get along? What are some of the ways in which the Lloyd family fostered positive relationships with their Indian neighbors? Why do you think the Lloyd family kept these gifts for so many years?