Wisdom of the Elders

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Wisdom of the Elders

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Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. Teresa Montana was elected as Wisdom's new Executive Director in 2018.

was founded by the late Martin High Bear (Lakota medicine man and spiritual leader) and Rose High Bear, Deg Hit'an Dine (Alaskan Athabascan) in 1993. Since incorporating in 1993, Wisdom has successfully produced three series of public radio programs, Wisdom of the Elders Radio. We produced educational curriculum for Oregon’s schools, including social studies, language arts, environmental science and arts (storytelling, traditional arts and music) lesson plans which are aligned to Oregon’s Educational Standards. In 2004, we launched Turtle Island Storytellers Network, the web-based speakers bureau which provides speaking and consulting opportunities for 80 gifted tribal historians, storytellers, artists, and song carriers. We formed the Northwest Indian Storytellers Association in 2005 and hold an annual Northwest Indian Storytellers Festival and tribal storytelling workshops in Portland, along with apprenticeship projects for emerging tribal storytellers. We have recorded and preserved 250+ native elders and storytellers and other cultural artists to share their messages and rich cultural values with younger generations. Our newest project, Discovering Our Story, has been a part of the Wisdom Board of Directors’ Strategic Plan since 2004. Working with seven local partners, we are producing multimedia Native American curriculum for mental health, addictions, domestic violence protection and Type Two Diabetes learning modules for Portland area service providers and their clients. We have also hosted 15 multicultural celebrations since 1999, including An Afternoon with Wisdom of the Elders, Native American Day, and celebrations launching our radio and television series.

11/02/2026

Happy Native American Heritage Month.

Reciprocity is at the center of many Indigenous ways of life. What we receive, we give back. With that comes responsibility: to the land and its resources, to each other, to the animals and all our relations in the environment, and to the higher creations.

That responsibility lives in how we care for our resources, and in our storytelling, our art, and our culture. Acts of gratitude and appreciation for the world around us have sustained our people since time immemorial.

We thank our ancestors who came before us and kept the old ways. It takes appreciation and responsibility to carry who we are forward while living in an assimilated culture, and they did that so we could carry it on.

Wisdom of the Elders records, preserves, and shares the oral history, cultural arts, language concepts, and traditional ecological knowledge of Indigenous elders, scientists, and cultural leaders. Since 1993, we’ve done this in collaboration with tribes, environmental organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions. Our ITEK internships, Wisdom Workforce, and media department put this into practice.

Look for our YouTube launch this month. Our mission lives on through our growing social media.

We’re a small organization, and recent cuts to grant funding have reduced our programs and our reach. The strongest way to support us is to donate. If nothing else, you can support us by simply following us on social media, turning on notifications, and liking our videos.

Find the Linktree on our profile or scan the QR code in the post.

Thank you to EMSWCD, Confluence, REI, OCF, Portland Indigenous Marketplace, NAYA, Depave, and members of the BRANCH Coalition who have supported us recently. It means the world to be able to keep living, working, and maintaining this work with you.

Credit 📸 b.steeleimages Media photos for Depave & indegingeoius marketplace event.

11/02/2026

🌿 This , we honor the enduring knowledge, leadership, and stewardship of Indigenous peoples — and the vital role they always have and will continue to play in caring for the lands and waters we share.

Our vision for Oregon’s wetlands is one where wetlands thrive, are protected across the state, and are valued for the essential benefits they provide. Realizing that vision requires collaboration, respect for Indigenous knowledge, and a commitment to ensuring these benefits are shared equitably by all Oregonians.

One of our partners is of the Elders an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the oral histories, cultural arts, languages, and traditional ecological knowledge of Native American elders, storytellers, and scientists.

Through one it its initiatives, the Wisdom Workforce Development Crew, the organization puts knowledge into action through hands-on environmental restoration, including trail maintenance, site assessments, and planting.

As Wisdom reminds us, "Native Americans are America’s first environmental scientists. Early American settlers documented the pristine condition of the natural environments they first encountered in the Pacific Northwest. They discovered landscapes maintained for thousands of years in a sustainable manner by Native peoples, whose commitment to sustainability within their ancestral homelands was driven by a deep respect for the land and a desire for future generations to harvest indefinitely in abundance. However, over the past two centuries, unprecedented environmental and climate issues have impacted our region’s ecosystem and watershed health."

This Indigenous Peoples Day, we invite you to learn from, celebrate, and support organizations like Wisdom of the Elders that preserve Indigenous knowledge and put it to work for healthier lands and waters.

💚 Take a moment to follow of the Elders to amplify their work and vision.

10/24/2026

Thank you to everyone who stopped by last night for our first annual Costume Donation and Community Party. We’re grateful for every costume donated and everyone who came out to share the evening with us!!!

Today, Wyam Youth Center is hosting a free Halloween Costume Giveaway for youth.

📍 2130 Warm Springs St
🗓 Saturday, October 24
🕐 12 to 2 PM

Free youth-sized costumes! Thank you! moo sep'kecc'a 🪶

10/15/2026

🎃 THANK YOU, COSTUME DONORS! 🎃

Our hearts are full! A huge thank you to everyone who donated to our Community Costume Drive. Because of your generosity, kids and teens across our community will get to dress up, play, and celebrate this Halloween. Every bag of costumes, every accessory, every pair of wings and witch hat came from someone who wanted a young person to feel included. We're so grateful. 💜

Now it's time to share the magic…

👻 COMMUNITY COSTUME CLOSET POP-UP! 👻
Wisdom of the Elders invites families to come pick out a FREE costume for kids & teens, and stay for the fun!

🧛 Free costumes for kids & teens
🎲 Family games
🍎 Food & drink
🕷️ Spooky crafts

📅 Friday, October 23, 2026
🕕 Starting at 6 PM
📍 Great Spirit UMC, 3917 NE Shaver St., Portland, OR 97212

All are welcome. Bring the whole family, find a costume you love, and celebrate with the community! Please share with anyone who could use a costume this year. 🧡

NativePDX CommunityCare Halloween2026

10/03/2026

Wisdom of the Elders had the honor of filming Stephanie Craig (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) during the Glass Blowing & Weaving Workshop, a three-day workshop put on by Confluence August 26 to 28 at the Two Rivers Heritage Museum in Washougal, Washington.

This video is a recap of Stephanie's time at the workshop. We were also glad to help Confluence film an upcoming basket making series with Stephanie, so keep an eye out for its release.

Stephanie is a seventh-generation basket weaver, the founder of Kalapuya Weaving and Consulting, and co-executive director of Rooted Ways. She has been teaching traditional weaving for over 20 years and has taught more than 10,000 students, from preschoolers to Elders.

We were also honored to hear from Leah Altman (Oglala Lakota), Executive Director of Confluence, who shared some insight into their partnership with Stephanie.

A special thank you to Confluence, Kalapuya Weaving and Consulting, and Rooted Ways for the knowledge they share with our communities. Their work makes a real difference in people's lives.

Thank you to the Two Rivers Heritage Museum for hosting. If you're in the area, go check it out. The museum is located at 1 Durgan Street in Washougal, right across from the Pendleton Woolen Mill.

Wisdom of the Elders is preparing to launch our media library on YouTube, more than 30 years of Indigenous stories, teachings, and cultural knowledge.

Follow all of our partners for updates, and like, share, and repost this video. It makes an impact, and your support helps all of us.

kalapuyaweaving.com
rooted-ways.org
confluenceproject.org
2rhm.com

09/28/2026

Beginning in 1819, the United States government operated Indian boarding schools as part of a federal policy to assimilate Native children. Many were run by churches with government support.

Children were taken from their families, and many were sent to schools far from home. They were given English names, their hair was cut, and they were punished for speaking their languages. In an 1892 speech, Carlisle's founder, Richard Pratt, described the goal: "Kill the Indian in him, and save the man."

A federal investigation identified 417 of these schools across 37 states or then-territories, including Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon, which is still open today. The investigation confirmed at least 973 children died while attending them. Researchers say the real number is higher.

Survivors of these schools are still alive, along with their children and grandchildren. It's normal to feel angry, sad, or uncomfortable learning this history. History that isn't named is easier to repeat.

September 30 is Orange Shirt Day. Residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad founded it in 2013, and the Orange Shirt Society carries on the work of supporting survivors and bringing public awareness to residential schools. Learn more at orangeshirtday.org.

This can never be reconciled, but there are ways to help heal, learn, and support. See the last slide for where to start.

09/20/2026

We are so excited to announce our first annual Kids Halloween Costume Drive! As the spooky season nears, a community need arises that often goes without notice. For some kids, a costume isn’t in the cards. We believe every child and teen should be allowed to dress up, and just BE A KID. Please consider dropping off your children’s costumes past if gently worn. New is also greatly appreciated if that’s in your budget! Remember that all sizes are welcome! The drop box will be out daily until Oct. 20th! If you have costumes but aren’t able to drop them off, please send us a message! We’ll see what we can do to pick them up. Together we can make this Halloween bright for our community kiddos! Big thank you to our partners in community care NAYA Family Center

09/14/2026

“Every year, seeing our youth enter the powwow circle for the first time is exciting,” said Tamara Henderson (Laguna Pueblo), NAYA’s chief operating officer. “Families choose NAYA to introduce their children to the powwow circle, and that is such an honor for us.”

Native American Youth and Family Center's 14th Annual Neerchokikoo Powwow brought together Native dancers, drummers, artists, families, youth, and Elders in Portland for a day of culture and celebration. This is one of Wisdom of the Elders' favorite powwows of the year, and if you've never been, this is the one to check out.

We talked with Oscar Arana (Chichimeca), Native American Youth and Family Center's Chief Executive Officer, to talk about the event and what it means for the community. If you missed it, here are the highlights.

The powwow, held at Neerchokikoo, once a trading and fishing village where Chinook Peoples fished these waters for generations, is free and open to the public. This year marked a new elevator on site to improve ADA accessibility, along with continued recognition of a Two-Spirit Head Dancer, a tradition Native American Youth and Family Center started in 2023. Portland's Native community includes members of nearly 400 different Tribes, and the powwow featured two Grand Entry ceremonies, more than 30 Native vendors and artists, and food including frybread tacos and tamales.

09/12/2026

Applications for our Fall ITEK Internship are officially closed.

We are blown away by the response; so many bright, talented people applied, and we want to take a moment to honor the effort it took for everyone to put themselves forward. moo sep'kecc'a (thank you very much!)

While you wait for our next round, here's how to stay in the loop:

Subscribe to our newsletter
Follow us on our social media channels
Keep an eye on our posts; we document our ITEK program so you can see the work our interns, staff, and partners do throughout the year.

Thank you again to everyone who applied. We can't wait to see you at the next round.

Address

3917 NE Shaver Street
Portland, OR
97266

Website

http://www.wisdomoftheelders.org/, https://linktr.ee/wisdomoftheelders, https://donorbox.org/seeds-of-wisdom-941123?utm_

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