kú•t: activities

Wy•Kan•Ush•Pum Village at the Oxbow Salmon Festival

The Wy·Kan·Ush·Pum Village featured twelve teepees and Nez Perce Appaloosa horses nestled in the forest along the Sandy River outside Portland.

For its first 20 years, the Oxbow Salmon Festival at Oxbow regional park brought together a host of federal, state, and tribal agencies, environmental groups, and other interested parties that played a role in salmon protection and restoration. Visitors were able to see spawning salmon in the Sandy River which runs through the park. There was always a tribal presence, mainly in the form of dancing and salmon cooking demonstrations.

From the generous support of guests of the 2003 and 2004 Wy·Kan·Ush·Pum galas, the Spirit of the Salmon Fund raised funds to help create a new facet of this festival: Wy·Kan·Ush·Pum Village. Playing off the theme that "We are all salmon people," the village created a third, cultural, aspect to the festival. A teepee village was set up in the forest along the river, where tribal elders helped visitors tie fish nets, taught them about making bows and arrows, told them stories and tribal language, and demonstrated salmon cooking techniques. Nez Perce Appaloosa horses were present, adding to the feeling of a traditional tribal village.

Drumming workshops allowed visitors to sit in a drum circle and participate in singing traditional tribal songs.

Visitors to the festival got the opportunity to actually participate in tribal activities rather than be mere spectators. Tribal elders got the opportunity to share their knowledge with the general public in a traditional setting that helped to educate guests appreciate what they were being taught. This glimpse into the traditional salmon culture of the Columbia basin tribes encouraged people to see the salmon in a different light and to realize the importance of protecting them, not only because it is important to the tribes, but because it is important to every resident of the Pacific Northwest.