MISSION – Dogs dressed liked Lewis & Clark and the hunt for the hidden Jefferson Peace Medal are just two of the activities planned during “Dogs, Drums and Directions: The Corps of Discovery in Our Camp” hosted by Tamastslikt Cultural Institute Friday through Sunday.

The weekend full of events range from musical entertainment to family activities and are all free and open to the public. One of the most unique events is an invitation to non-Indians to visit the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Longhouse to worship in the ancient cultural teachings of the Plateau people that Lewis and Clark unknowingly witnessed.

“The title includes dogs because the explorers bought a lot of dogs to eat from us and other tribes,” Tamastslikt Director Bobbie Conner said. “On Oct. 18, 1805 near Wallula they purchased 40 dogs. On the return journey on April 30, 1806, north of present-day Touchet, Lewis wrote ‘these people will not eat the dog but feast heartily on the otter which is vastly inferior in my estimation.'”

“Drums” refers to the hand drums local tribes usedat the time of the expedition and prior to adoption of the big drum around which many singers may stand or sit. Hand drums are used for prayer and ceremonial songs as well as for serenades and social songs. The use of hand drums will be demonstrated on Saturday along with tule mat making, flint knapping, atlatl throwing and other ancient tribal skills.

“Directions” reflect the tribes ability to guide the Lewis & Clark expedition on its way. One journal entry explained, “The indians informed us that there was a good road … that there were a plenty of deer and Antelopes on the road, with good water and grass … the indians also informed us that the country was level and the road good, under these circumstances we did not hesitate in pursuing the rout recommended …”

The Washat prayer service and lunch at the Umatilla Tribal Longhouse will begin at 9 a.m. on Sunday. This is an especially significant cultural sharing experience because the CTUIR has never publicly explained the proceedings of April 28, 1806, when the members of the expedition observed tribal songs and dances. Captain Wiliam Clark’s journal entry for the day noted the observation.

“This is not an entertainment or a show,” CTUIR Cultural Resources Committee Chairman Armand Minthorn said. “Our way of life, our teachings and the oral history passed down tell us what was happening then.”

The event also includes the hunt for the hidden replica of a Jefferson Peace Medal, which the explorers gave as gifts to men they identified as “chiefs.” Clues as to the location of the medal are appearing in the East Oregonian. The person who finds it will not only get to keep the replica, he or she will also receive a Lewis & Clark commemorative Pendleton Woolen Mills robe, a tule mat, dried salmon and a smoked buckskin commemorative coin pouch like the one Tamastslikt has produced for the U.S. Mint.

Tamastslikt Cultural Institute is adjacent to the Wildhorse Resort & Casino, a few miles east of Pendleton off Interstate 84. TCI is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.