Tamkaliks and the Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland

In 1990, a handful of Wallowa citizens and Nez Perce residents began developing an idea to bring together present day inhabitants of Wallowa and the descendants of the Wallowa Band Nez Perce. The first powwow and feast was held at the Wallowa school gymnasium. It was a monumental event of reunion for the dispersed Nez Perce and a celebration for all. In 1998, thanks to the continued efforts of volunteers and generous donors, we moved to our present site at the Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland grounds and renamed the event after the place: Tamkaliks “From where you can see the mountains.”

Growing out of the success of the annual celebration, the nonprofit Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland (NPWH) was formed. The mission of the organization is “to secure, develop, and manage real property and related assets to enhance and enrich the relationships among the descendants of indigenous people and the contemporary inhabitants of the Wallowa Valley; to create a physical place to build these relationships and to preserve and celebrate the culture of the indigenous inhabitants; and to educate the general public on the history of the area.” Today NPWH owns and manages the 320-acre parcel adjacent to the City of Wallowa along the Wallowa River.