Yakama Nation Cultural Centre

Much of the land around the town of Yakima is taken up by native American reservations & the Yakama cultural centre outlines the history of the native people in this region. Fourteen different tribes used to live in this area getting their livelihood from the abundant salmon in the river. In the mid nineteenth century they were forced to give up 90% of their land in exchange for four small reservations which would be held in trust for all time. Things got worse still in the 1950s when the building of a dam ruined native people's chances of continuing to make a living from traditional salmon fishing. Many of the age old communities broke up & the repercussions are still being felt to this day. From outside the cultural centre we can see Mount Adams in the distance.