PHOTO COURTESY OF TAMASTSLIKT
Dr. Leland Gilsen brings his “traveling museum” of Oregon native history to the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute lobby on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
With over 100 sqare feet of display, the exhibit cover more than 14,000 years of the Northwest Coast, Columbia Plateau, and Inter-Mountain native cultures. The displays’ primary focus is on primitive technology and explores “human technological solutions through material culture.”
“People had to understand their environments to survive and prosper,” said Gilsen. “They had to know the plants and their uses as well as the animals and uses. This was technical knowledge.”
The traveling museum includes artifacts, replicas, and photo displays. Dr. Gilsen will be on hand to explain and demonstrate the various tools and technologies.
Gilsen was the state archaeologist for Oregon from 1978 to 2002 within the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) of Oregon State Parks. He has a Ph.D. in anthropology with a specialization in archaeology from the University of Arizona. Before coming to Oregon, he was the SHPO archaeologist for the Maryland Historical Trust in Annapolis for two years.
Admission to the Traveling Museum is free and open to the public. This event coincides with the free Community Academy on “Making an Atlatl.”
Tamástslikt is located at 47106 Wildhorse Boulevard at the far end of the main driveway of the Wildhorse Resort & Casino, 10 minutes east of Pendleton. Tamástslikt can be reached via Exit 216 off Interstate I-84 or by following the “Mission-LaGrande” sign south off Highway 11 onto Highway 331.
For more information, contact Tamástslikt Cultural Institute at 541-966-9748 or visit the Tamástslikt website.
