Nez Perce Culture Camp
Nez Perce Arts Council

Nez Perce Arts Council's annual Culture Camp immerses tribal youth in Nez Perce language, arts, traditions, ceremonies, song, dance, current issues, and history. Struggling with an array of social problems common to reservation life, the tribal community is utilizing arts and humanities education programs to sustain traditional stories and rituals and to strengthen families by bridging the generations.

Every August, 150 Nez Perce youth ages 8-18 travel to Wallowa, Oregon, for an intensive two-week immersion in tribal culture. At Camp, the young people participate in traditional crafts, storytelling, dance, mural painting, printmaking, and drama centered on a single theme that changes each summer. In the past five years, themes have included Nez Perce identity, leadership, cultural conservation, the natural environment, and wellness. The core of every Culture Camp is a concentration on language. Recognizing the essential link between language and culture, a linguistics scholar has developed special curriculum and materials that teach Nimiipuutimtki, which is used at Camp and incorporated into all activities and lessons.

The Nez Perce Arts Council, in partnership with other tribal organizations and the local school district, created Culture Camp to support the transmission of traditional culture and to develop leadership among its youth. Together, the organizations formed a Council of Elders to guide the content of the program and serve as teachers and mentors. The Culture Camp is intergenerational from planning to implementation, and its impact extends into both family life and the school year. Through Culture Camp and ongoing year-round after-school programs, the Nez Perce Arts Council links the generations by teaching young people Nez Perce history and culture. Continued appreciation and understanding of the tribe's values and traditions contribute to the permanence of an ancestral culture that guides youth into community participation and development.