February of 1998, and oversaw the final preparations of the institute. After ten years of planning, a “special opening ceremony was held July 24 for the tribal community, which then had a week to explore its new facility before the doors opened to the public July 31.” Within the first three weeks of opening, approximately 4,000 people visited the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute. Naming The site was initially to be named The Oregon Trail on the Umatilla Indian Reservation Interpretive Institute. Tribal elders deliberated, and decided a shorter name would be more practical. The name Tamásclikt, from the Walla Walla North East Sahaptin dialect, was suggested by Átway Celia Bearchum. Tamásclik, a verb, means to “turn over,” as in the turning of the seasons, or years. The English spelling is Tamástslik, and the addition of a ‘t’ to the end changes the word from a verb to a name. Linguist Dr. Noel Rude made an orthographic correction to the name. The final product was the name Tamástslikt (Tuh-must-slickt), which means “interpreting our own story.” Mission The mission of the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is “To preserve and perpetuate the diverse cultures and histories of the indigenous people now known as the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla Tribes,” and “To educate people about our cultures, histories and contemporary lives.” Facilities The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is a 45,000 square foot building constructed with “native stone and wood.” The institute includes 15,000 square feet of permanent and temporary exhibit space. Additional on-site facilities include archive vaults, the Research Library, the Museum Store, the Kinship Café, and designated meeting areas. Meeting areas There are five designated meeting areas accessible by the public within the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute: the Gallery, the Classroom (694 usable square feet), the Conference Room (305 usable square feet), the Multipurpose Theater (1600 usable square feet), and the Celilo Lobby (2300 usable square feet). The Coyote Theater projects a short gallery introduction which is led by the guide “Spilyáy, the magical coyote.” The Celilo Lobby is "a basalt-lined circular lobby featuring a floor-to-ceiling mural of Celilo Falls." Collections In 2003, the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute had “more than 2,500 artifacts in its collection area," which are stored in multiple vaults and the Research Library. In 2011, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute added "five artifact donations and 220 books to the collection" and received "Dr. Theodore Stern archival materials on long-term loan from University of Oregon Special