By Hand Through Memory
Indigenous Nations of the Columbia River Plateau
By Hand Through Memory will take you through the little known journey of the Indigenous Plateau Nations as they traveled from reservation confinement to the 21st century. This immersive exhibit highlights the experiences of Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs, Yakama, Spokane and Colville people. The exhibit portrays Native Peoples as people who preserved their history and adapted to and shaped contemporary society. Native Peoples are not a primitive people living in a craft-making past, but are active decision makers who cultivate cultural identities built on tradition and innovation.
The move to create By Hand Through Memory began in 1990, when Doris Swayze Bounds generously donated her significant collection of Indigenous Plateau cultural items to the Museum. A member of the Yakama Nation was a co-curator of our celebrated permanent exhibit By Hand Through Memory, which opened in 1999. This unique interpretive gallery continues to emphasize the resilience of the Native Peoples of the Columbia River Plateau in retaining their cultural identity.
The High Desert Museum sits in and shares the stories of what was, is, and always will be the Indigenous Plateau.
Read our land acknowledgement in its entirety and learn more about the about the importance of land acknowledgements.