We thought we knew the Oregon Trail…
Turns out, we only knew half the story.

“The settling of the West,” says Bobby Conner, “was the unsettling of the West for our people.”

In this episode of The Hidden Trails of Oregon, we’re exploring the past, present and future of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes, whose ancestral homelands stretch across Eastern Oregon.

In 1993, the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail, tribal leadership attempted to build a center to tell the story of the trail from a Native American perspective. But they were denied funding.

So on August 12th, 1993, a wagon train celebrating the anniversary was interrupted at the reservation border by Natives on horseback. One rider was Antone Minthorn, chairman of his tribal council. He spoke in protest of the poverty and unemployment affecting his people. But also of his vision of a place for learning and research; for a different perspective on manifest destiny.

It worked. Funding was secured and soon the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute opened its doors.

We’re taking an immersive, sound-rich journey through this world-class museum. You’ll hear horses rumbling across the grassy plateau, storytellers in winter lodges, ringing bells and worshipers in song and prayer.

We’ll sit down with Bobby Conner, director of the Institute, to talk about the achievements, aspirations and concerns of her community. And we’ll explore the meaning of a phrase you’ll find emblazoned on the walls of the final exhibit:

Cháwna mun na’ámta–We will never fade.

🧭 Planning a visit?
Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is just outside Pendleton, Oregon, and trust us, it’s worth the detour. You’ll leave changed. Learn more at TravelOregon.com and Tamastslikt.org

🎧 Next up, we’re sticking around Eastern Oregon to uncover more hidden trails. So hit subscribe and follow us wherever you get your shows.

Special thanks to Bobby Conner and all the staff at Tamástslikt

Hidden Trails of Oregon is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Jason Paton wrote and produced the episode with Aaron Millar, who also presented the show.

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It might’ve been my first rodeo, but it won’t be my last!

“It’s part action movie, part rock show blurring into the superbowl. It feels modern, but bull riding itself goes back to the bronze age. And that’s true for rodeo contests in general: bull riding, barrel racing or wild cow milking, they’re all based on tradition, and in keeping those traditions alive.

‘Let ‘Er Buck’ makes a lot of sense from the back of a bull. But as we find out, it’s much more than a rodeo shout: it’s a way of life.”

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘The Hidden Trails of Oregon.’ In our second episode, we’re leaping headfirst into the rodeo to end all rodeos, the 115 year-old Pendleton Roundup!

In this episode, host Aaron Millar tests his mettle on a massive mechanical hog, before climbing into the stands for a (literally) explosive ‘Xtreme Bulls’ finale. We’ll lean over the bucking chutes and get clobbered by dirt flung from bronco hooves. But the roundup isn’t all spectacle, it’s also about family and tradition. We’ll step back in time to learn about the history of the event while sipping whiskey in the notorious ‘Let ‘er Buck’ room. Stories of champions, princesses, suicide-racers and steer-wrestlers wait around every corner.

We’ll meet a generational indigenous horse relay racing team, hand them microphones, and listen in on their insane bare-back bid for victory. And through it all explore the western ties that bring all these groups to rodeo together each September.

LET ‘ER BUCK!

Remember you can see all of this yourself. Go to PendletonRoundup.com for details and take our advice: book early!

Plan your next Oregon adventure at TravelOregon.com

Thank you to all guests featured on the show: Toni Minthorn, Scott and Dylan Abramson, Pat Nogle and Butch Knowles

A special thank you to Greg and Petra for showing us such a great time, we can’t wait to come back.

This series was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Find out more at armchair-productions.com

Brian Thacker led our pre-production, Charles Tyrie assisted on audio editing, and the episode was recorded by Jason Paton who also wrote and co-produced along with host Aaron Millar.

Thank you to our guests: Bobbie Conner, Rich Wandschneider, Jacey Sohappy, and Nancy Crenshaw