Yakama Nation Cultural Center — Attraction in Toppenish

Gift shop manager is horrible at customer service and the basics of human interaction. A couple months back I had bought a turquoise ring for my wedding band and within a couple days the ring had began to wear and after a day the silver band had completely been ripped off it’s weld. I brought it back to the shop to have it fixed. I was told by the manager it would be 4-6weeks to be fixed (my wedding was next month) so there was no way I could send it off and wait for the original silversmith to weld it again. She was ABSOLUTELY NO HELP at all!!! She just stared blankly in my face with her 10lbs of makeup and fake colored contacts. I was extremely upset, I had so much hope that the PLACE I bought it from they were no help at all until my savior (her employee) finally suggested that I take it to the Mall in Yakima to have the kiosk to fix it AND she was RIGHT!!!!!!! It took a couple hours but $40 later my ring was fixed like new. Manager needs a attitude adjustment and learn how to better assist customers of all ages and types NOT just who she prefers.

I won’t be returning to this place, there are definitely other places they sell genuine turquoise here in town and I would strongly suggest them over this over priced...

This place is a proud memorial for a humble people who deserve our honor and respect. I've seen complaints about the items in the gift shop being "over-priced." It's a community center, your money goes to the community. Much like buying from the Goodwill or Salvation Army. Would you rather spend your money at the Casino? The most important thing you can do on your trip here is visit the museum. It tells the history of the Yakama Nation and how badly the US has treated them, for over 150 years. They have suffered losing 90% of their native land and having their sons and daughters taken from them to be forced into boarding schools and made to forget their culture and lifestyle. Even their religion, that teaches peaceful coexistence with all of nature and The Creator, has been watered down after years of western religious aggression. It's heartbreaking, to be sure, but also amazing that these beautiful people still live on their native land. Everything about this cultural center, the gift shop, the museum and even the library are filled with so much grace and strength. If you pay attention, you'll hear your guardian spirit...

My cousin was visiting the Valley and wanted to come to the Cultural Center. I was excited, because even though I'm fairly local, I hadn't been in a long time. The gal working the gift shop was so kind and patient, answering our questions in detail, even my cousin's questions about how she came to be working at the Cultural Center. She encouraged us to take our time and not miss anything in the museum. She was so cheerful and clearly passionate about what she does. In the museum, I really loved the QR codes so that you can hear the Native words for the different animals and such. I even sent one to a friend (one of his favorite animals). My cousin and I were both happy we came. Everything from the sweatlodge setup to the beadwork displays were informative and I appreciated all of it (and I hope the public learns from borading school and REDgalia exhibits).

Tldr; really cool museum, awesome staff. 5 stars, already planning on...