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TAMKALIKS OPENS FRIDAY
 BEARING THE COLORS: TamKaLiks builds bridge of friendship between the races. (File photo). - GARY FLETCHER Staff Writer WALLOWA - The 17th annual Tamkaliks Celebration will take place at Wallowa Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. There is no charge for camping or admission. This event's purpose is not necessarily for entertainment. Tamkaliks (From where you can see the mountains) is a "celebration of traditional Native American culture ... a place and time where local people can observe and learn about that culture and a bridge of friendship between the former and present inhabitants of the Wallowa Country," said the late Terry Crenshaw, one of the original organizers. Friday evening's social dancing will begin after the roll call at 7. Friday and Saturday mornings will be open for memorials and namings, such as naming children, or bestowing on a person their Indian name. Saturday's events begin at 9 a.m. with a horse parade of riders in full regalia. Saturday's roll calls are at 1 and 7 p.m. There will be competition dancing, and an All Veterans Honor Dance. Saturday night there will be the Antonette Williams Women's Traditional Special Dance, sponsored by J.T. Williams. The grand prize is a tepee. Consolation prizes are Pendleton blankets. Onlookers at the dance arbor are asked to show respect; to allow elders to sit in front, to ask permission to take photos of people and to not photograph prayers or religious services. Sunday at 9 a.m. will be the Washat religious services. The Friendship Feast will be at 11 a.m. The Indian community provides salmon, deer and elk. Other attendees bring potluck dishes. Some 500 people indulged in last year's feast. The championship dancing will follow the 1 p.m. roll call. Tamkaliks was once described in art by the late Taz E. Conner, who is buried in the nearby cemetery. He said, "It is time once again to let the land hear the familiar sounds that have been developed over thousands of years here in the land of the winding waters, the rhythm of the drum beat, the songs, the language, the prayers, the people and all creation joined to co-exist and respect mother earth and this law of the land. "Our elders, whose bones remain in this beautiful land, would be proud to that everyone here has a genuine concern to maintain the Nee- Me- Poo (We The People, Nez Perce) culture." The 320-acre Nez Perce Interpretive Center site is along the Wallowa River at the foot of Tick Hill. The access gate is a short distance east on Whiskey Creek Road from Wallowa's Main Street. There is a one-mile hiking trail to the top of Tick Hill. The Wallowa Band Nez Perce Trail Interpretive Center, Inc. is a partner in the Nez Perce National Historical Park. The Wallowa site is designated as the traditional Lostine Campsite by the National Park Service. Future plans for the site include interpretive signs, showers, a caretaker residence, developed permanent campgrounds, a longhouse and cooking facilities. Partnership with the National park Service will develop a high quality interpretive center to house programs and exhibits telling the Nez Perce story. Long-term goals include year-round meetings, studying and recreational use by Nez Perce people from reservations in Oregon, Idaho and Washington and people of the adjoining communities of the Wallowa Country. Funding has come from many sources including grants and personal and business donations. Tax deductible donations are welcome at the non-profit WBNPTIC, P.O. Box 15, Wallowa 97885. For more information, call 886-3101, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or check out the web at wallowanezperce.org. |
