Yakima camping, day 2

May, 2019

Day 2 here in Yakima started out slowly. I tidied up inside the trailer, washed the dishes from dinner and breakfast, checked email, looked at maps and my list of things to see while here in the Yakima area, then I puttered around outside the trailer. Later in the morning, I saw the Camp Hosts sitting outside so I went over to chat with them. They sure were nice folks.

What I will remember especially about him was that, yesterday, after I had pulled into the campground and backed my trailer perfectly into its campsite in one easy motion, and then I was being careful and deliberate about setting up the trailer (making sure the electricity worked, leveling the trailer, lowering the jacks, locking the tongue, etc) … I was almost done with all that when I noticed this Camp Host fellow sitting outside his rig. I waved and he waved and then he said “you got that nailed! don’t you. Good job! You sure do that better than most people!” Even though I knew I was doing a good job, still that made me smile. 🙂 I bet he has seen all sorts!

Anyway, on this morning of the second day here, the two of them and I chatted about a great number of things … mostly camping related but other things too. Eventually, we ended our conversation. I then took another stroll through another part of the campground, this time over to the Yakima River which is about a quarter mile away from the campground. And then I ate my lunch back in my trailer. After lunch I jumped into my big white truck and went out to explore!

I stopped here first …

 

Oh, this place was wonderful! I spent three hours here, and I’m not usually a museum sort of person. Hmm, at least I don’t think of myself as being very much interested in those sorts of things. But I’m noticing on this blog that I am always interested and impressed by this sort of thing, so I guess I’d better correct my view of myself. I sure loved this place … the Yakama Nation Cultural Center and Museum.

The photo immediately above is from the late 1800s and is of a deserted lodge where several generations of one family would live, or where sometimes two or three families would live. This traditional lodge shape inspired the shape of the current Cultural Center and Museum.

I spent three hours in the museum, and then came back the next day to see a few more things and to talk with one of the Yakama women who worked there. I learned a lot … and I learned that I don’t know much. Except for 6.5 years as a child away from this area, I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest all of my life and thought I knew quite a bit about the place and the people, and yet the more I explore, the more I find things that I don’t know much of anything about. My mother was a voracious reader and she loved talking with all sorts of people when we traveled about. I love to learn too, just like my mom, so I’m happy when I come across things I know nothing about, or very little about. Today was one of those days and this museum and its exhibits were wonderful … go see it!

The Yakama Nation is made up of 14 tribes … the Palouse, Pisquose, Yakama, Wenatchapam, Klickitat, Klinquit, Kow-way-saye-ee, Li-ay-was, Sk’in-pah, Wish-ham, Shyiks, Oche-Chotes, Kah-milt-pah, and See-ap-Cat. The map below shows, in yellow, the land these people inhabited since “the time of no-home, before history began” .

Today, the green area on the map is the land of the Yakama Nation (all 14 tribes) as a result of the treaty of 1855. As it did with other native groups, the government of the USA took land away from the Yakama people without negotiation or permission or appropriate compensation, by simply giving title of the land to members of the USA nation or to the USA government itself, without negotiating with the Yakama Nation or its people. You may hear that there were negotiations, but the Yakama people didn’t speak or read English, so translations were made by people from the USA government. In the end, more than 12 million acres of land were taken … with the Yakama Nation now living on just over 1 million acres.

The word “yakama” is likely a mispronunciation of the Yakama word e-yak-ma, which means “family”. The people of the Yakama tribe called themselves the Waptailmim which means people of the narrow river. Their language is called Ichishkíin Sínwit.

When on the move (usually from late spring into early autumn), the Yakama people lived in large lodges that housed several people as in one of the photos above or in smaller lodges (photo below) that housed fewer people. These lodges were built with wooden poles and covered with fiber mats or with animal hides. The photo below is from 1900. It was probably just as comfortable and serviceable as my travel trailer.

For more permanent structures in the winter, the Yakama people lived in pit houses, also known as earth lodges (see photos below). Pit houses were built mostly below ground with a wooden framed roof covered with mats made of animal hide and cattail fibers. Pit houses were usually 12 feet wide and meant for one family. The earth around the lower part of the home kept the home warmer in winter, and reduced the amount of windage around the upper part of the home that was above ground.

 

Salmon was a staple in their diet. They would catch fish using nets, spears, and wooden fish traps. They would hunt deer, elk, and small game such as rabbits and ducks. They also gathered berries, nuts, edible roots and other plants to cook.

The Yakama used canoes made out of lightweight birch bark to traverse the rivers. Horses weren’t available to the Yakama until after the settlers brought them from Europe, so the Yakama people would simply walk or run from place to place. Sometimes in the snow they would wear snow shoes to help them walk.

 

The details available in this museum of the lives of former Yakama Nation people are much too numerous to list here. And yet, even with all they do have of their history, I was told that their lives changed so much in the 1800s when the European settlers came, that most of the customs and knowledge and details of the time before that are gone.

Besides the history of the older times, this museum also details the history of the Yakama people from the time of the coming of the settlers until today. The Yakama people are proud of who they are today and proud of their history. They are kind, thoughtful, spiritual, strong, independent people who are finding their way in today’s world while keeping their past close at hand. There are very troubling parts of their past (I will tell you about Celilo Falls in a future post), and yet there are such joyful parts as well.

As it turned out, I was the only person in the museum for the entire time I was there. I could spend all the time I wanted with each photo, each sample of the written words and the recordings of people speaking, the exquisitely taxidermied animals and birds, the people’s clothing, food, housing, many images of sacred Pahto (Mt. Adams). There were plenty of places to sit and listen to the recordings of birds and water; recordings that I didn’t notice at first but that played quietly throughout the exhibit. I sat at the entrance to one of the pit houses for a long time, listening.

A Yakama woman, photo 1899.

Being allowed to see so much of the Yakama people’s history meant a great deal to me. The museum does not allow photography inside; the photos in this blog post were taken off the internet. But many of the things I saw in the museum will remain in my head and in my heart. I have a great deal to learn yet in life … the Yakama people have so much to teach us.

In the gift shop of the museum, I found and purchased a 2-CD set of a Yakama woman story-teller relating a few of the Yakama legends first in English, then in the Yakama language. Here are two short snippets (click on each link below, then click on the BOLD text to play the brief sample). Listen to the second link below and think about trying to learn that complicated language!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006XF9LNI/ref=pm_ws_tlw_trk4

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006XF9MQ4/ref=pm_ws_tlw_trk9

Basically, so the story goes, chipmunk didn’t do what his grandmother told him to do. He got distracted while playing and got lost too far from home. Witch woman ALMOST grabbed him and ate him, but not quite, boy was it close! In her attempt to grab him, she left scratches down his back that turned into stripes. The lesson is that you should listen to your grandmother and not go too far from home and you should watch out for danger. Or you may end up with white stripes down your back like chipmunk still has today.

More information about all of these things and more can be found online on the website of the Yakama Nation as well as in a Wikipedia article.

People who are different than I am … who have a different background or different life experiences … who know things I don’t know, or just see things differently … are so interesting and have so much to teach. I’m so blessed.

Tomorrow? Just a country drive to see some pretty birds. 🙂

 

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10 Responses to Yakima camping, day 2

  1. Ginger D says:

    It sounds like you are enjoying yourself. I used to love to talk to camp hosts when I was RVing. Most are so friendly and willing to share info.

    • Ann says:

      I thought about being a Camp Host once, but then found out how much work they do for no pay. They are wonderful folks aren’t they!

  2. This was really interesting. I agree people who are different than I am…..have so much to share. I’m trying not to stay in my comfortable box and reach out to people that are different. It’s harder than I thought it would be.

    • Ann says:

      I took a class on Islam, and have studied a bit about Buddhism. For me, knowing some things about people before I interact with someone personally helps. And I’ve traveled outside the USA quite a bit, especially as a kid. But that initial bit of fear when I first meet someone who looks different than I do is still there. Maybe it will always be there. But I’m just not going to let it stop me from meeting really great people. It does take effort though … keep at it!

  3. JudyB says:

    Some of that was difficult to read, but I know it’s true all over the USA. I think Canada’s indigenous people have fared better, yes? What a great museum to visit. Now I wish my husband and I were still Rving.

    • Ann says:

      I think Canada is doing better too, though I suspect none of us can ever make up entirely for what was done.
      Hey, maybe there’s still time to buy another RV, Judy? Or take a driving vacation. Or find out about native people who live near you.
      Thanks for being here. 🙂

  4. Virginia says:

    Loved this post, so interesting! The resilience of the indigenous nations is humbling and inspiring, they do have so much to teach us if we will only listen. And I believe those who have an open mind and wish to keep learning are blessed. Thanks for sharing.

  5. robin says:

    So amazing to see how they have adapted their homes to the weather and environment – and we should feel like being in our RV’s is geniune luxury! Thank you for giving reverence to the place name Yakima – and taking us along for a tour of their amazing
    museum.

    • Ann says:

      You are so welcome, Robin. It was so amazing … and humbling. ha! and yes indeed when I got back to my travel trailer, I was very grateful for such a lovely little traveling home. 🙂

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