Wisdom Staff Members
Wisdom staff have more than three decades of experience
Wisdom staff have more than three decades of educational, project management and oversight experience designing, developing, funding and managing multi-year, multi-partner, culturally-responsive education programs with Native American adults and youth. This includes Native American adult interns completing the Wisdom Workforce Development Internship. Wisdom has accomplished projects with federal agencies since 2002, including National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and National Park Service.
M. Teresa Montana
Executive Director (Eastern Cherokee- Paint Clan)
Executive Director for Wisdom of the Elders, Inc, & Manager for Wisdom Workforce Development, LLC. Joined Wisdom in July 2018 and became Executive Director 2019. Previous engagement with Wisdom was in 2013-14, assisted in the development of the Discovering Our Stories- Historical Trauma Curriculum.
US Army Veteran/Medic – former Nurse.
Alumni include: Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR.
University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.
Washington State University, Vancouver.
***Focus Areas- Anthropology, History, Social Sciences, Humanities.
Certifications in Professional Mediation & Conflict Management, Professional Development & Business Entrepreneurship.
Former Assistant Director/then Director for the Indian Education Title VII (now Title VI) Vancouver, Evergreen & Battleground, WA. School Districts
****Currently in collaboration with District Superintendents to reinstate Title VI program for the Education Service District 112 which now includes 30 school districts.
Current Board Memberships:
Washington State University, Vancouver- Native American Advisory Board
Center for Tribal Nations/OMSI- Advisory Committee
Kimi Wa Foundation- Board Member
ESD 112- Title VI- Advisory Committee
Previous- Vancouver Historical Museum
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Tim Keenan Burgess
Multimedia Program Director (Paiute, Shoshone)
Tim has worked for Wisdom of the Elders since 2016 and is Co-Director/Producer of their ongoing documentary film series and provides training for emerging Native peer mentors. He is the writer/Producer of Wisdom’s TV show and received degrees in Multimedia and Video Production from Portland Community College. He’s served as Associate Producer for The Learning Channel; as well as a myriad of other positions on numerous short & feature films, commercials and TV shows. He was the official photographer for the Portland Or. Indigenous Film Festival “One Flaming Arrow”. He also serves as the Co-Grants Manager at Wisdom.
He co-directed and produced the documentary “Native Wisdom- the Peoples of Eastern Oregon” which won a Special Jury Award at the Bend Film Festival and was nominated for best documentary at the 45th annual American Indian Film Festival, as well as screening at numerous other film festivals and Tribal gatherings, and also has aired on OPB plus.
Tim is a multi-disciplined artist, working primarily in video/film, photography, painting and music. He has documented the underground music scene in Portland for many years and has directed music videos for Uada, Bewitcher, and Kunu Bearchum among others, and had his photography featured in numerous magazines and on many albums/CD’s/etc.
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Elexis Ahriana Moyer
Elexis began their journey with Wisdom of the Elders as an intern for the Wisdom Workforce Development Fall cohort in 2022. As a seasoned community organizer, Ele wanted to shift their work into advocating for the plants. Elexis’ interest and love for the plants is inherited from the endurance and care of her ancestors from the Lake St Martin First Nation, Santee Dakota Sioux, and Burns Paiute Tribe. Elexis is a registered Community Health Worker, serves on the Lived Experience Advisory Committee for Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services, has graduated from three internships with Wisdom Workforce Development and has served on the Multnomah County Youth Commission throughout their teenhood. Elexis’ favorite plant is the Swamp Rose.
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Davineekaht White Elk
ITEK Environmental Instructor, Field days
(Siksika Nation)
Hello relatives, my name is Davineekaht White Elk. I use any/all pronouns. On my father/grandfather’s side, I’m an enrolled member of the Siksika Nation in Alberta, Canada, from the Blackfoot Confederacy. On my father/grandmother’s side, I’m Bitterroot Salish from the Flathead Nation in western Montana. On my mother/grandmother’s side, I’m Northern Ute of the Uncompahgre band from Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah. On my Mother’s/grandfather’s side, I’m part of the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe along the South Texas Rio Grande River. They are not a federally recognized tribe in the United States and are fighting for recognition.
I was born and raised in Portland and grew up in the native community. Most of my Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITEK) came from teachings from my ceremonial community, learning from my family, elders, and community members. I have cultural art skills, including beading jewelry, sewing/ regalia, hide scraping, leather work, medicine bundles, and tea/slave making. I like to be creative and open to learning new skills. I attend Portland State University (PSU), earning a bachelor of science degree, double majoring in Indigenous Nations Studies and Environmental Science, and a certificate in Indigenous Traditional Ecology Cultural Knowledge (ITECK).
I’m a part of UISHE, the United Indigenous Students in Higher Education at PSU, as their social media manager. I serve on the Portland Urban Forest Plan Community Advisory Committee and Metro Equity Advisory Committee. I have three years of experience in the environmental education field at the Oregon Zoo. 2017, I graduated from the Center for Diversity and Environment Leadership Program. I have seven years of experience working with the Portland Native American Community at the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) in their Youth Education Services. I enjoy being outside with my partner and our little Chihuahua/Pomeranian dog, Sunny, and spending time with loved ones.
Bruce Amick II:
Workforce Crew Leader (Blackfoot Nation/Blood tribes Canada)
Bruce started out as an intern with Wisdom’s Workforce Development program, became a crew member with the LLC, and became the Workforce Crew leader in 2020. Bruce manages Wisdom’s work crews and worksites in the field and collaborates with a myriad of partners and Portland area organizations, overseeing projects and ensuring crew safety. He also conducts hands-on training.
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bruce@wisdomoftheelders.org
Karrie Young
Community Liaison (Muscogee Creek Nation)
Karrie Young was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. Besides her work at WOTE she also provides care for Native American Elders and works for the Portland Indigenous MarketPlace. She is a Native Flute Player, Mother, Grandmother, and Great- Great Auntie. She is currently seeking certification to become a Forest Therapy Guide.
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karrie@wisdomoftheelders.org
Dawn Lowe
ITEK Classroom Instructor, Classroom Days
(Hawaiian, Apache, Cherokee, and Mohawk)
Dawn is the ITEK Instructor for Wisdom Workforce Development interns. She was an original member of the first Wisdom Workforce Development LLC team in 2015 which collected and processed Native seeds for Metro’s Native Plant Center. She provides environmental instruction and habitat restoration lesson plans integrating Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK). She is a gifted herbalist with knowledge of the gifts of Native plant species and invasive species. She also strives to develop and share herbal remedies and traditional herbal arts using Native plants.
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Karina Ceron
Social Media Coordinator (Taíno)
Karina is Wisdom’s social media coordinator. She’s been with Wisdom since 2017 through a myriad of projects and internships, and currently assists with fundraising and Give!Guide campaigns. She has a master’s degree in Museum Anthropology, and concurrently works as the specialist for North American Ethnology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
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KJ Moore
Multimedia
KJ Moore is a multi-disciplinary artist who has worked in the Pacific Northwest for over a decade with the elderly and disabled community. Their primary focus is storytelling through documentary work, showcasing local talent and unheard stories. A graduate of Open Signal’s producing, cinematography, and editing classes and Portland Community College’s Video Production program, they are thrilled to be working alongside the generous staff of Wisdom of the Elders.
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Damien Cross
Director of Web Development & Strategic Communications
Damien started with Wisdom as a volunteer to help manage and redesign their website through a transitional period and in 2021 started working as the Web Department Coordinator. In 2022 Damien transitioned into Director of Strategic Communications where he currently works with a variety of departments on various projects including IT, Office Communications, Technology Training, Multimedia, Web Development, Graphic Design, Creative Writing, Email Administration, and Newsletters.
He participated in the Open Signal 2022 Summer Cohort and has graduated from the program with skills in film editing, producing, and cinematography and will help with Wisdom’s new multimedia internship, productions, and upcoming films. His passion for community, multimedia, storytelling, and blogging led him to the organization and has fueled his work at Wisdom of the Elders.