Wisdom of the Elders, Inc
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc
A letter from the Executive Director – Teresa Montana
Give!Guide Kick off November 1st
We’re excited to share that we’re part of this year’s Give!Guide, an annual campaign by Willamette Week that makes it easy and fun to support local nonprofits! The campaign kicks off on November 1 and runs through December 31, giving you the chance to donate (starting at just $10) and help make a big impact in our community. Join us in celebrating the kickoff and give where it matters most at giveguide.org
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
Embracing the Season’s Rebirth with Wisdom of the Elders
Hello, and a happy Spring to all of you. We hope this finds you all well, and thank you for checking in with Wisdom! We want to say thank you to our staff, who are all amazing. Wisdom appreciates your dedication and perseverance to our mission and projects as we...
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.
Girls STEAM Institute Presents: The Global Team Business Challenge 2025
She Solves: Mental Health Solutions in the Digital World October 4–5, 2025 | ENGAGEXR Platform Watch the video below to learn more about this groundbreaking event. The world needs bold ideas—and bold young women to bring them to life. This fall, the Girls STEAM...
Missing and murdered Indigenous Relatives Event
The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) crisis has deeply affected Native communities across the United States, with a particularly profound impact on tribes in the Pacific Northwest. Tribes such as the Lummi, Yakama, Tulalip, and Warm Springs have...
Rooted in Wisdom: A Season of Connection & Renewal
Greetings friends and supporters of Wisdom of the Elders! As Winter has come to an end we are ready to Spring into action. We are so happy to announce a few exciting updates and opportunities to connect. Wisdom Workforce Development First of all, we are excited to...
Now Accepting Applications: Spring 2025 ITEK Internship
Are you passionate about environmental restoration and Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK)? Do you want to gain hands-on experience while making a meaningful impact in your community? Wisdom of the Elders is excited to announce that we are now accepting...
Spring Native Plant Sale with Wisdom of the Elders & Sparrowhawk Native Plants!
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. is partnering with Sparrowhawk Native Plants to bring a special spring native plant sale to our community! With over 115 species of habitat-friendly native plants available, this is your chance to enhance your garden while supporting our...
Charting New Horizons: Wisdom of the Elders Multimedia Interns Illuminate Community
In late March, a fresh wave of interns swept into Open Signal, eager to dive into the world of multimedia production. With classes in Studio Production, Cinematography, and hands-on camera training, they eagerly got their hands on the equipment and started to produce...
Made possible with support from these generous Partners, Funders, and sponsors
Notes from Wisdom’s Executive Director:
More updates coming soon… In the meantime, please read more of our Newsletters
Hello and greetings to all,
First, and foremost, we send you a massive Thank You to all of our partners and supporters. Our team celebrates all that you do to uplift our programs as we serve our shared communities. Just know that with each kind word of encouragement, each phone call, and every penny, it’s an opportunity for us to turn to each other with a celebratory word: well done, congratulations, way to go team, and a shared Thanks to each of you!
Your generosity is both deeply appreciated and heartfelt.
We are in the midst of creating an Apothecary for our Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge Internship (ITEK), which is offered twice yearly. We are also deep in the planning process for our Seed-Saving & Sharing program while developing strategic plans to build new garden beds to grow Traditional First Foods.
As our ITEK students learn through classroom instruction and gain hands-on field experience, they all have a part in these processes.
Our community partners are, as always, so gracious to walk alongside us, providing their insight and encouragement to our students and our team. To you, we offer our gratitude for sharing our vision for future generations. You make Wisdom that much richer and add depth to our mission when you join us at the table or in the field to share our goals. The impact is felt all the way through our students, and they take that to fuel themselves into their path forward. To note, we have had previous interns go on to create their own business ventures.
I do hope you are doing well and enjoying the excellent fall colors of our beautiful Northwest! Indeed, my favorite time of year. I hope you enjoy the photo of the fantastic double rainbow.
I want to note that Wisdom is recruiting for additional Board Members. We are recruiting those with experience and interest in one or more of our programs and committees.
Ecological Restoration & Conservation, Curriculum Development, Multimedia / Film
Please reach out at your earliest convenience.



































