In May 1994, Representative Bob Smith endorsed the interpretive center, and testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior “in support of a $2 million request for the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.” Community support efforts continued, and on September 14, 1994, the "East Oregonian" printed a full page description of the Tamustalik Cultural Institute, which included sketches and contribution information. The same month, a “$6.5 million loan guarantee by the Bureau of Indian Affairs” provided the financial backing the Tribes needed to move forward on construction.