RICHLAND, Wash. – Yakama Indian Nation teenagers saw tribal sacred areas on the Hanford Site for the first time this month. The Yakama Tribal School students were escorted under a special protocol to enable them to visit the site, which requires visitors be at least 18 years of age. Yakama Nation Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program officials say they believe it’s important for this generation of Yakama tribal members to learn more about Hanford and care for tribal interests in an area with tribal importance. "Sometimes, special protocols have to be established to accommodate tribal visits for educational and ceremonial purposes," said EM Richland Operations Office Tribal Program Manager Jill Conrad. "It's the first time some tribal people have been able to see these areas in over 70 years. Our workforce is proud of the work that has been accomplished here to enable these special visits." The students visited the site where a large plutonium vault was once located. The area was restored to a more natural state with advice from tribal nations. The students also viewed Gable Mountain, which is used for vision quests and gathering, and small hills known as "Mooli Mooli," a location young tribal members visited hundreds of years ago as a safe place to play and learn.