Programs
As part of our commitment to upholding, perpetuating, and celebrating the people and practices native to wal’áwa, the Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland offers programs for both Native and non-Native people.
Camp Wal'áwa
Camp Wal’áwa is a five-day cultural educational experience for Native youth that is hosted by The Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland. The purpose is to strengthen nimiipuu language and traditions in the ancestral homeland of Wallowa Band Nez Perce descendants.
Guided by language teachers, cultural knowledge keepers, and traditional artists, students will strengthen their sense of identity, build meaningful relationships, and learn about language, place, art and more.
This is a cost-free program for students. Spaces are limited.
Collaborations
The Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland supports and collaborates with a range of community organizations and programs throughout the region, including Fishtrap Inc., the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture, Wallowa County schools, the History Center, and Nez Perce Fisheries, just to name a few.
We occasionally also serve as an incubator to help new or growing programs take root.
These partnerships strengthen cultural learning, community connection, and the shared stewardship in wal’áwa (Wallowa).
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Launched in 2021, this yearly summer program takes middle-school-aged Nez Perce Wallowa Band descendant youth on a four-day educational whitewater rafting trip through saqáanma, the deepest canyon in North America and a special part of the homeland for Native peoples.
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Camas to Condors (C2C) is a landscape-scale climate resilience initiative led by the Nez Perce Tribe in collaboration with Greater Hells Canyon Council, Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland, Eastern Oregon Legacy Lands, Northwest YouthCorps, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, and University of Idaho’s McCall Outdoor Science School.
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A literary arts and humanities nonprofit based in Wallowa County, Fishtrap launched as a summer gathering in 1988 and has since worked to cultivate and support Western writing as a critical pillar of culture in Oregon and beyond.
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A gathering place that supports and promotes the arts and culture for Wallowa County residents, JCAC provides access to fine art education and programming, creative outlets, and opportunities for social connection, helping locals and visitors alike forge an understanding and appreciation for the heritage of Eastern Oregon and its original tribal inhabitants.
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Home to roughly 200 students, Wallowa County School District includes elementary, middle, and high schools. The Homeland partners with Wallowa County schools to provide educational programming and experiences that deepen students’ knowledge and appreciation of the area’s history and original tribal stewards.
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Located in Wallowa, Oregon, the History Center is a nonprofit organization that promotes access and education on the rich history of the Wallowa County region. The Center hosts regular exhibitions and provides assistance with genealogy, historic buildings, research, and visitor services.
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Serving a region and people long shaped by their relationships to waterways, Nez Perce Fisheries protects treaty rights and access to resources for tribal members while offering education on resource stewardship for both tribal and non-tribal people.