In honor of Rose High Bear’s Deg Hit’an Dine heritage, The Wisdom Project is now called Discovering Yidong Xinag. Yidong Xinag in the Alaskan Athabascan dialect means “the old wisdom.” This fits our Native American youth leadership initiative very well.
This project includes Series Four of the Wisdom of the Elders Radio Program and film productions featuring eight Pacific Northwest Native communities and rich perspectives on environmental issues.
Discovering Yidong Xinag has provided a Native American Saturday Science Academy for Native youth and families with the assistance of Northwest Indian College environmental science faculty members and NAYA.
Wisdom prepared Summer Science Camps held in 2015 for Native youth and families at Beaverton High School and at Native American Youth and Family Center. The culturally tailored multimedia curriculum integrates Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western science concepts.
Film Screenings and Community Consultations provide an opportunity to view films produced by Wisdom and Native youth featuring the perspectives of Alaskan Native and Pacific Northwest tribes on environmental and climate issues.
Funding has been provided by and/or pending the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Collins Foundation, Oregon Community Fund, Metro, East Multnomah County Soil and Water Conservation District, Running Strong for American Indian Youth, Gray Family Foundation, and the Black United Fund. Funding for our films and radio series is provided by National Endowment for the Arts.