Welcome to Wisdom of the Elders
Discovering Our Story Project
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| Jamestown S'Kallam tribal elder and storyteller, Elaine Grinnell. |
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. (WISDOM) is collaborating with a team of nine partners that serve Native Americans to develop multi-media rehabilitation curriculum for Portland-area Native American therapists and clients. The Discovering Our Story Project is being developed to resolve five outcomes. One increases the skills of therapists serving Native American clients. Four outcomes resolve mental health, addictions, domestic violence prevention and diabetes issues which recent research demonstrates are frequently co-occurring within our community. Read more...
“Living Histories: Native American Cultural Arts of the Northwest” class provides continuing education credits for Oregon’s educators:
Lewis and Clark College’s Center for Community Engagement, which coordinates Continuing Education trainings for the college, will host an in-service training in December titled “Living Histories: Native American Cultural Arts of the Northwest.” The class will feature oral history and cultural arts of Northwest tribes and spotlight exemplary historians, storytellers, artists, song carriers, and environmentalists from tribes in Oregon and the Northwest.
The one-day class will instruct primary, middle and high school teachers in the use of the Wisdom of the Elders k-12 materials based upon the American Indian public radio series, Wisdom of the Elders Radio: Series Three which is available free to educators and students at www.wisdomoftheelders.org. Materials have been aligned to Oregon educational benchmarks in social studies, language arts, environmental science, and arts (traditional arts, music and storytelling). One continuing education credit will be offered to educators and substitute teachers attending this training session.
Tribes include the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Chinook Nation, and the Nez Perce Tribe.
This training will be held at the PSU Native American Student and Community Center Saturday, April 10 and Friday, July 30, and at Lewis and Clark College Saturday, August 21 and October 9. The trainings will run from 10 AM to 3 PM. Komemma Kalapuya and Coos storyteller and educator, Esther Stutzman will teach the class.
To register, contact Seahdom Edmo, Coordinator of the Indigenous Ways of Knowing Program at Lewis and Clark College at edmo@lclark.edu or Rose High Bear, Executive Producer of the curriculum series at rosehb@wisdomoftheelders.org.
Organization History:
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. was founded in 1993 by the late Martin High Bear, Lakota medicine man and spiritual leader, and Rose High Bear, Deg Hitan Dine, (Alaskan Athabascan). 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.
Since incorporating, 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 is aligned to Oregon’s Educational Standards. It honors tribes of the Northwest and is available at no charge at our website. 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 launched Turtle Island Storytellers Network in 2004, the web-based speakers bureau which provides speaking and consulting opportunities for 80 gifted tribal historians, storytellers, artists, and song carriers. 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. 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 series.
Volunteer at Wisdom of the Elders
The Wisdom of the Elders community recognizes the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge, oral tradition and storytelling. Some of our volunteers learn about us from attending one of our annual events. Others find us on the web and listen to our radio programming online.
Wherever and however you discovered us, there seems to be a common thread. You were moved by the story. You felt a deep part of yourself reach out and meet us. And this connection has grown into a desire to explore our organization in a deeper way.
If you might be interested in volunteering with Wisdom of the Elders, check out our Volunteer Page to learn more.
I really enjoy your program, especially the Elders' stories. I am a Nakota Sioux from Canada, my great great great grandfather was White Bear. My Grandfather was the last hereditary Chief, I come from a small reservation called Alexis Nakota Sioux. I can understand and speak my language, but I have a hard time understanding the Sioux people in the states. Some words are different, but not all! A lot of the stories I hear on your program we have heard before, and that's awesome!
– Proud Sioux
Wisdom of the Elders Curriculum Project
Educational curriculum materials based on Series Three of Wisdom of the Elders Radio Program have been developed for schools, and are aligned to Oregon’s Educational Standards. They are available at no charge from our website.
Northwest Indian Storytellers Association 2010 Planning Retreat
The Northwest Indian Storytellers Association (NISA) Advisory Council invited tribal storytellers and emerging storytellers to the Northwest Indian Storytellers Association’s annual Planning Retreat on March 19-21 2010 at Brighton Creek Retreat Center in McKenna, Washington.
In 2009, tribal tellers and emerging tellers from tribes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho attended the annual gathering to get acquainted with NISA Advisory Council members and fellow storytellers. They were also asked to share their thoughts on the growth of NISA and to help plan two tribal storytelling festivals held during 2009. Tribes were also asked to recommend their tribal storytellers to serve as Advisory Council members and to help sponsor future NISA storytelling activities.
NISA also hosted an afternoon of public storytelling on Saturday, March 14, from 1 to 5 PM to share the enormous wealth of our talented organization with the regional community. Accepting contributions at the door for 20 people who attended and the silent auction following the storytelling event helped to pay partial scholarships for tellers who attended. Guests joined us for a lunch of Indian Tacos and we closed the public storytelling event with a friendship dance.
Overnight lodging and meals were provided for NISA members who attended the weekend retreat. Brighton Creek Bahá'í Conference Center, located on 24 forested acres in rural SW Washington just east of Olympia, included a main meeting hall, dining and kitchen area, heated cabins, and an alcohol and drug-free retreat style atmosphere. Despite a weekend of rain, we enjoyed the wooded grounds including the beautiful cedar grove, walking paths, towering fir trees, and meandering creek.
This NISA Planning Retreat is an annual event. NISA members are welcome to help us plan and promote it when it is held again in March of 2010.
Call Se-ah-dom Edmo for info at (503) 282-2910 or e-mail nisa@wisdomoftheelders.org
The projects of Wisdom of the Elders, Inc.
Northwest Indian Storytellers Association (NISA) Northwest Indian Storytellers Association was formed in 2005 to encourage, preserve and strengthen traditional storytelling among tribes and urban Indian communities in Oregon, Washington and Idaho and to share tribal oral cultural arts with the entire regional community.
Wisdom of the Elders Radio Programs
Audio and transcripts of three series of Wisdom of the Elders Radio Program are available to the public. Downloads are available at our website at no charge to radio stations worldwide.
Wisdom of the Elders Radio: Series One
Wisdom of the Elders Radio: Series Two
Wisdomof the Elders Radio: Series Three
Turtle Island Storyteller Network (TISNET)
This American Indian online speakers bureau highlights web pages of 70 gifted oral historians, storytellers, and song carriers from the Pacific Northwest and Great Plains.
Visit us at TurlteIslandStorytellersNetwork.net
The Seven Commandments of the White Buffalo Calf Maiden: Martin High Bear (1919-1995)
This biography of Wisdom of the Elders' founder, the late Lakota medicine man and spiritual leader, Martin High Bear is expected to be completed during 2009 and published in 2010.
Oral History Collections
WISDOM has recorded more than 250 indigenous elders and conducted over a dozen oral history recording projects since 1993. Video and audio recordings will be used to develop American Indian mental health and addictions rehabilitation and recovery materials.
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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 Wisdom of the Elders' 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. To show oour appreciation, we will gift you. Gifts include CDs, a color Pendleton CD holder, and a special limited edition Pendleton Legendary Design Blanket. In addition, we'll send you our quarterly newsletter to help keep you informed of our latest activities and plans.
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 funders, National Park Service, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and local foundations, which include 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 Wisdom of the Elders' vision and mission of American Indian cultural preservation, education and race reconciliation.
Indian Marketplace
We are now making our radio series, individual radio programs, and the Judy Trejo Archival CD Collection available on the Indian Marketplace, our gift shop. Proceeds help to fund the projects of Wisdom of the Elders, Inc.
