Whitman Mission to showcase tribal long tent

Published 1:24 pm Monday, July 17, 2017

WALLA WALLA — For a limited time, the Whitman Mission National Historic Site will be showcasing a traditional Long Tent used by tribes of the southern Columbia Plateau for large gatherings and ceremonial activities.

The tent will be on display from July 26 through Aug. 2. The last time this style of tribal architecture was used in the Walla Walla Basin was, conceivably, sometime during the 1860s when the last remaining Cayuse people were forcibly removed from the area and placed on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

“It’s rare to see this type of Long Tent structure set up outside the reservation setting,” said Wes Jones, Cayuse tribal elder and member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. “I hope this exhibit will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the history of the Walla Walla Basin and the tribes associated with this area.”

Jones will be supervising all phases of the tent’s planning and construction, which will include 125 teepee poles and eight full-size canvasses. The tent will measure 65 feet long, 18 feet high and 25 feet wide.

Whitman Mission National Historic Site is located seven miles west of Walla Walla off Highway 12.