Wisdom of the Elders, Inc
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc
A letter from the Executive Director – Teresa Montana
The 2024 Willamette Week's Give!Guide is Live!
We’re thrilled to announce that Willamette Week’s 2024 Give!Guide is officially in full swing, and we are beyond grateful to be a part of this fantastic community-driven initiative. The Give!Guide is an amazing opportunity to support our mission, and every donation counts—no matter the size.
The 2024 Willamette Week's Give!Guide is Live!
We’re thrilled to announce that Willamette Week’s 2024 Give!Guide is officially in full swing, and we are beyond grateful to be a part of this fantastic community-driven initiative. The Give!Guide is an amazing opportunity to support our mission, and every donation counts—no matter the size.
Indigenous Archive Initiative
Indigenous Archive Initiative
Our Mission
Wisdom records, preserves, and shares oral history, cultural arts, language concepts, and traditional ecological knowledge of exemplary Native American elders, storytellers, and scientists in collaboration with diverse institutions, agencies, and organizations. Our vision: Native American cultural sustainability, multimedia education, and cultural reconciliation.
Wisdom Newsletter
Whispers of Winter Wisdom: Embracing the Season’s Serenity with Wisdom of the Elders
Greetings, Hello, Friends of Wisdom, We are always delighted to share with you the programs and events we are engaged in. Our staff has many opportunities to be in the field and at the table with community members and our partners to make plans and strategize on how...
Native Wisdom Documentary Film Update
Wisdom’s multimedia team is continuing its work on an educational film shared with the forestry service, and also filming a program that features a variety of Grandmothers stories.
Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge: An Internship program
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. is pleased to announce the (ITEK Program) Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge. This program is designed for interns and focuses on traditional ecological knowledge passed down from generations.
Wisdom Projects, Community Action, & Events
Read more about what Wisdom of the Elders is doing in the community.
Don Motanic Receives the 2023 Earle R. Wilcox Award
In the heartfelt 2023 Earle R. Wilcox Award Acceptance video, Donald (Don) Motanic, a distinguished figure in the Native American community, and Wisdom of the Elders Board President, radiates humility and gratitude as he receives this prestigious honor. Having served...
Native Gathering Garden Tending Party and Native Plant Giveaway
Join in on the fun with Native Gathering Garden Saturday, April 29th, 10 AM –3 PM 5810 NE 72nd Ave., Portland, OR 97220. Gain experience learning about and giving native plants to the Indigenous community. There will be tools and refreshments provided while supplies...
Wisdom graciously receives First Nations Development Institute Award to assist with Growth
The First Nations Development Institute (FNDI) has awarded a grant to Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. under the Nourishing Native Foods and Health Initiative made possible through generous support from the Northwest Area Foundation and Agua Fund. This grant will help...
Congratulations to the 2022 Wisdom Workforce Development Interns
Wisdom is very proud of you all, and honored to be a part of your growth. Wisdom wants to encourage you to stay connected and active in this growing dynamic community. Great Spirit United Methodist Church, Nellie Stearns and Allen Buck Friends of Tryon Creek, Gabe...
Wisdom receives the 2022 Environment and Sustainability Impact Award from Ninety-Nine Girlfriends
Over the last few months Wisdom has been hard at work writing a grant proposal for the 2022 Impact award which is provided by Ninety-nine girlfriends. Their organization makes annual, large, impactful grants in the Portland Metro/SW Washington region. They fund in...
Join us at the Portland Indigenous Marketplace
Join us for the Portland Indigenous Marketplace. An in-person Indigenous Marketplaces event for Spring/Summer 2022, the marketplace will be held at 432 NE 74th ave Portland, OR 97213 Portland Indigenous Marketplace supports indigenous artists and entrepreneurs by...
Made possible with support from these generous Partners, Funders, and sponsors
Made possible with support from these generous Partners, Funders, and sponsors
Notes from Wisdom’s Executive Director
Hello and Fall Greetings,
On behalf of our staff and Board, thank you for visiting our site and engaging with us here at Wisdom.
As you may know, Wisdom recently experienced a brief suspension of programs. We’re now excited to continue our important work with our communities and partners, supported by the wonderful encouragement and offers we’ve received to strengthen our programs and services. We’re truly grateful for the warm thoughts from so many of you!
At present, we’re focused on our Archives Project. Some of the archival footage has already been digitized, and we’re working toward digitizing it all. The recordings—captured on 8mm film, reel-to-reel, VHS, and cassettes—hold invaluable memories. Our primary goal is to return these recordings to the families and tribes from which they came, fulfilling a mission and promise.
To accomplish this, we’ll be reaching out to communities to help identify some of the elders and others featured in the recordings. With permission from the families and tribes, we hope to share some of these stories and histories more broadly. We welcome any of you who would like to assist in fulfilling this mission—please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We’re also working to expand our Archives, conduct more interviews, and reengage with our Storytelling Events.
Additionally, we’d like to thank you for supporting our Wisdom LLC Crew as we continue our essential work in Restoration and Conservation. There’s always more we can do to increase the livability and enjoyment of the beautiful lands we share. As we look to expand our teams and enhance our services, we invite you to consider joining our ITEK and Multimedia internship programs, held twice a year. If you or anyone you know might be interested, please reach out!
With gratitude,