Yakama Nation Museum and Cultural Heritage
Fashioned after an ancient Yakama winter lodge, the 12,000 square-foot Yakama Nation Cultural Heritage Center tells the story of the Yakama Indian. One of the oldest Native American museums in the country, this cultural center uses a blend of dramatic visual and listening experiences to transport visitors back through history and into modern times. It was established to preserve the Yakama Nation’s culture and promote understanding to all who live in the Yakima Valley.
View unique dioramas and historic photography bringing the Yakama People’s past to life. See the fascinating mannequin exhibit titled, “The Great Native American Leaders.” Guided tours and storytelling are available by appointment. Attend one of the many events held throughout the year including the annual Yakama Treaty Days in June and November’s Yakama Nation Film Festival and Tiin Ma Pow Wow. The center also houses the Yakama Nation Library, a theater for performing arts, a gift shop and restaurant.
A significant portion of the Central Cascades were the ancestral homeland of the Yakama people and the current Yakama Reservation encompasses just a portion of that area. Many of the attributes we appreciate about the Central Cascades are the same ones that the people who came before us did...the abundance, the beauty, the challenge, the link with earlier generations. Many of the geographic names we know today come from that time. One of the great things about the Pacific Northwest and the Central Cascades is the Native peoples still making a presence in this region, teaching the history of this area. For more information, visit the Yakama Nation Cultural Heritage Center.
This Location is included on the National Geographic Central Cascades Mapguide.
