Martin High Bear. Photo by Joe Cantrell
Our Mission
Committed to Native American cultural sustainability, multimedia education and race reconciliation, Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. (Wisdom) records and preserves the oral history, cultural arts, language concepts, and traditional ecological knowledge of exemplary American Indian historians, cultural leaders and environmentalists in collaboration with arts and cultural organizations and educational institutions. We especially seek to correct misconceptions, end prejudice, bring health and wellness to Native people, and demonstrate how Indian culture has and is continuing to enrich our worlds.
Education and Reconciliation
Wisdom of the Elders also acknowledges the need for reconciliation between Indian and non-Indian. As part of its race reconciliation mission, Wisdom of the Elders strives to share with all peoples, using public radio and documentary production, book publishing and other educational venues in collaboration with diverse cultural organizations and educational institutions.
Organization History
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. was founded in 1993 by the late Martin High Bear (1919-1995), Lakota medicine man and spiritual leader, and Rose High Bear, Deg Hitan Dine, (Alaskan Athabascan). Wisdom of the Elders corporate office is located in Portland, Oregon.
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.