Wisdom of the Elders Radio: Series Three
Wisdom of the Elders Radio: Series Three consists of eight one-hour American Indian cultural magazine radio programs with the theme Native Nations along the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Trail. Programs feature tribal elders, historians, storytellers, artists, song carriers and environmentalists from thirteen native nations living along the western side of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in the Bitterroot Mountains and along the Columbia River: Lemhi Shoshone; Nez Perce or Nimi’ipuu; Salish, Kootenai, Flathead; Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla; Yakama; Wasco, Warm Springs, Northern Paiute; Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde; and Chinook tribes. The radio series is hosted by Arlie Neskahi (Dine, or Navajo).
Each program contains an Historical Introduction, which shares expedition and tribal history to provide context for the features, and six cultural arts features. These are:
Elder Wisdom, produced by Brian Bull (Nez Perce), which features oral accounts from tribal elders who reveal stories about the lives and character of exemplary grandparents and ancestors.
Speaking Native with Don Addison, which gives listeners an opportunity to learn a new word or two in the language of the featured tribe.
Sacred Landscape, produced by Judy BlueHorse-Skelton (Nez Perce/Cherokee), highlights tribes’ "sacred geography."
Tribal Rhythms, written by Don Addison, produced by Clark Salisbury and Larry Johnson, and narrated by Nico Wind (Assiniboine), relates the history of tribal music and features music selections.
Health and Healing, produced by Rose High Bear in partnership with KCUW community radio at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Pendleton, Oregon, and with Sound Partners for Community Health at Benton Foundation, a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In Series Three, we focus entirely on diabetes to inform native communities about the growing epidemic and inspire them to develop habits that will prevent the disease.
Artist’s Circle, produced by Bruce Crespin, focuses on tribal art, both traditional and modern.
Turtle Island Storytellers spotlights tribal storytellers who share traditional or contemporary stories that illuminate the roots of their cultural identity.
Funding has been provided by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail System, National Parks Service, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
You are invited to become a Friend of Wisdom of the Elders
Friends of Wisdom of the Elders is a community of individuals who support the projects of Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. Our projects include:
* Wisdom of the Elders Radio Program and its website at www.wisdomoftheelders.org which shares our first three series of American Indian radio programs. Our programs are heard on American Indian Radio on Satellite, on other public radio stations nationwide and internationally, and at our website.
* Turtle Island Storytellers Network , our American Indian speakers bureau which includes gifted oral historians, storytellers, song carriers and others from the Northwest and Great Plains, with plans currently underway to expand to the six states of the Southwest. This speakers bureau is online at www.turtleislandstorytellers.net .
* Northwest Indian Storytellers Association which was formed in 2005 to encourage, preserve and strengthen traditional storytelling and oral cultural arts among tribes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. NISA held its third annual gathering in January 2008.
* Wisdom of the Elders Curriculum Project is our newest project, featuring multimedia American Indian curriculum materials for schools, in a collaboration with the State of Oregon Department of Education's Indian Education office and others.
* The biography of WOTE's founder, the late Lakota medicine man and spiritual leader, Martin High Bear. The Seven Commandments of the White Buffalo Calf Maiden: Martin High Bear (1919-1995) .
When you become a member of Friends of Wisdom of the Elders , you agree to make a financial contribution to help our projects succeed, and also encourage your friends and colleagues to become involved. You can make a donation at any level you choose within four circles of giving over a one year period, either a one time contribution or periodically.
In return, we will gift you with a CD of one of our radio programs and then send you a quarterly newsletter that helps to keep you informed of our latest activities and plans. Sometimes newsletters also include excerpts from transcripts of gifted elders, tribal historians and storytellers.
Currently, we are developing the Friends of Wisdom of the Elders web page to acknowledge members of Friends of Wisdom of the Elders, and your name will be included along with our national fundors, National Park Service, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and local foundations, which includes Meyer Memorial Trust, Spirit Mountain Community Fund and Oregon Arts Commission. Newsletters are sent by e-mail. If you do not have e-mail, let us know and we'll mail them.
In addition, you will develop greater understanding and appreciation for the diversity of American Indian oral history and cultural arts still thriving among more than 550 nations in America today. You will learn more about traditional indigenous cultural values which have been obscured by history and misunderstanding. Most important, you'll know you are supporting WOTE's vision and mission of American Indian cultural preservation, education and race reconciliation.
Wisdom of the Elders Radio is now making its series of radio programs and the
Judy Trejo Archival CD Collection available for sale
Go to the Indian Marketplace
Wisdom of the Elders Radio is now making both of its series of radio programs available for sale, and soon, a few Pendleton Blanket items. Our first CD set, the Judy Trejo Archival CD Collection , is also available. Proceeds help to fund radio production, with a portion of the proceeds donated to Judy's family. Stop by our Indian Marketplace to find out more.
Turtle Island Storytellers Network
The Turtle Island Storytellers Network launched on June 10, 2005. This American Indian speakers bureau, a network of American Indian storytellers, historians, song carriers and other presenters, has been developed to provide speaking and consulting opportunities for tribal elders, oral historians, storytellers and song carriers in 13 states of the Northwest and Northern Plains states. We are sending ongoing e-mail announcements to promote these oral cultural artists to agencies, institutions and organizations within their regions.
The Mission of Wisdom of the Elders, Inc.
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. is an American Indian 501(c)(3) not for profit corporation committed to American Indian cultural preservation, education and race reconciliation. Working in collaboration with diverse cultural organizations and educational institutions, we record and preserve oral tradition and cultural arts of exemplary indigenous elders, historians, storytellers and song carriers. We share these teachings with younger generations of American Indians as well as public audiences of all cultures via our radio series, Wisdom of the Elders Radio , our online speaker's bureau for American Indian oral cultural artists, Turtle Island Storytellers Network , the Northwest Indian Storytellers Association , and other educational venues.
Wisdom of the Elders: Series Two
Our second series of public radio programs, titled Native Nations Along the Lewis and Clark Trail , includes indigenous elders, historians, environmentalists, storytellers, and song carriers from thirteen nations along the eastern portion of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Trail system. Program segments feature oral history and cultural arts of: Shawnee, Otoe, Omaha, Yankton, Sioux, Arikara, Mandan, Hidatsa, Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine, Blackfeet and Shoshone tribes. The series of eight one-hour programs is hosted by Arlie Neskahi (Dine). This series has been funded by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail System, National Parks Service, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Each one-hour program opens with a Historical Introduction which shares expedition and tribal history and provides context for the remaining features in the program.
Elder Wisdom , eight minutes in length and produced by Brian Bull (Nez Perce), features oral accounts from tribal elders who reveal stories about the lives and character of exemplary grandparents and ancestors.
Sacred Landscape, five minutes in length and produced by Judy Bluehorse Skelton (Nez Perce/Cherokee), highlights native elders' stories regarding their tribe's "sacred geography."
Tribal Rhythms , eight minutes in length, produced by Clark Salisbury and Larry Johnson, scripted by Milt and Jamie Lee (Lakota), and narrated by Nico Wind (Assiniboine), relates the history of tribal music and presents traditional music selections.
Contemporary Rhythms , eight minutes in length and produced by Milt and Jamie Lee, highlights the work of contemporary tribal musicians.
Turtle Island Storytellers , eight minutes in length, spotlights tribal storytellers who share traditional or contemporary stories that illuminate the roots of their cultural identity.
Wisdom of the Elders Radio: Series One:
Wisdom of the Elders Radio, our first series of eight one-hour radio programs from Native America, continues to be available online from our website at:
Program One: The Sacred Earth
Program Two: Circles
Program Three:Cry of the Earth/Prophesy
Program Four: Honoring Native Women
Program Five: The Horse in Native Culture
Program Six: The Harvest
Program Seven: Tribute to Native Artists
Program Eight: Native Relationaships
This project was funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, National Park Service, National Endowment for the Arts, and Spirit Mountain Community Fund, Grand Ronde, Oregon. New material, including historical and contemporary photographs, continue to be available on the transcript pages, so be sure to check back.
