Welcome to Wisdom of the Elders
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. (WOTE), a 501(c)(3) not for profit corporation located in Portland, Oregon, is committed to Native American cultural preservation, education, and race reconciliation. Working in collaboration with diverse cultural organizations and educational institutions, we record and preserve oral tradition and cultural arts of exemplary indigenous elders, historians, storytellers and song carriers in order to regenerate the greatness of culture among native peoples today and future generations. We share these teachings with all generations of Native Americans and public audiences of all cultures via Wisdom of the Elders Radio Program and educational curriculum materials, the Northwest Indian Storytellers Association and its annual storytelling festivals, Turtle Island Storytellers Network, cultural celebrations, and other educational venues.
Organization History:
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. was founded in 1993 by the late Martin High Bear, Lakota medicine man and spiritual leader, and Rose High Bear, Deg Hitan Dine, (Alaskan Athabascan). Our newest project, the Discovering our Story Project, has been a part of the WOTE Board of Directors’ Strategic Plan since 2004. Working with seven local partners, we will produce multi-media 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, WOTE 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.
Volunteer at Wisdom of the Elders
The Wisdom of the Elders community recognizes the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge, oral tradition and storytelling. Some of our volunteers learn about us from attending one of our annual events. Others find us on the web and listen to our radio programming online.
Wherever and however you discovered us, there seems to be a common thread. You were moved by the story. You felt a deep part of yourself reach out and meet us. And this connection has grown into a desire to explore our organization in a deeper way.
If you might be interested in volunteering with Wisdom of the Elders, check out our Volunteer Page to learn more.
I really enjoy your program, especailly the Elders stories.I am
a Nakota Sioux from Canada, my great great great grandfather was White Bear. My Grandfather was the last hereditary Chief, I come from a small reservation called Alexis Nakota Sioux. I can understand and speak my language, but I have a hard time understanding the Sioux people in the states. Some words are different, but not all! A lot of the stories I hear on your program we have heard before, and that's awesome!– Proud Sioux
Wisdom of the Elders Curriculum Project
Educational curriculum materials based on Series Three of Wisdom of the Elders Radio Program have been developed for schools, and are aligned to Oregon’s Educational Standards. They are available at no charge from our website.
Northwest Indian Storytellers Association 2009 Planning Retreat
The Northwest Indian Storytellers Association (NISA) Advisory Council invited tribal storytellers and emerging storytellers to the Northwest Indian Storytellers Association’s annual Planning Retreat on March 13-15, 2009 at Brighton Creek Retreat Center in McKenna, Washington.
Tribal tellers and emerging tellers from tribes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho attended the weekend gathering to get acquainted with NISA Advisory Council members and fellow storytellers. They were also asked to share their thoughts on the growth of NISA and to help plan two upcoming tribal storytelling festivals being held during 2009. One festival will be held in Portland November 6-8, 2009. A second festival will be held in the Seattle/Tacoma area in the fall of 2009 (weekend to be determined). Tribes were also asked to recommend their tribal storytellers to serve as Advisory Council members and to help sponsor future NISA storytelling activities.
NISA also hosted an afternoon of public storytelling on Saturday, March 14, from 1 to 5 PM to share the enormous wealth of our talented organization with the regional community. Accepting contributions at the door for 20 people who attended and the silent auction following the storytelling event helped to pay partial scholarships for tellers who attended. Guests joined us for a lunch of Indian Tacos and we closed the public storytelling event with a friendship dance.
Overnight lodging and meals were provided for NISA members who attended the weekend retreat. Brighton Creek Bahá'í Conference Center, located on 24 forested acres in rural SW Washington just east of Olympia, included a main meeting hall, dining and kitchen area, heated cabins, and an alcohol and drug-free retreat style atmosphere. Despite a weekend of rain, we enjoyed the wooded grounds including the beautiful cedar grove, walking paths, towering fir trees, and meandering creek.
This NISA Planning Retreat is an annual event. NISA members are welcome to help us plan and promote it when it is held again in March of 2010.
Call Debbie Russell for info at (503) 282-2910 or e-mail nisa@wisdomoftheelders.org
The projects of Wisdom of the Elders, Inc.
Northwest Indian Storytellers Association (NISA)
Northwest Indian Storytellers Association was formed in 2005 to encourage, preserve and strengthen traditional storytelling among tribes and urban Indian communities in Oregon, Washington and Idaho and to share tribal oral cultural arts with the entire regional community.
Wisdom of the Elders Radio Program
Audio and transcripts of three series of Wisdom of the Elders Radio Program are available to the public. Downloads are available at our website at no charge to radio stations worldwide.
Wisdom of the Elders Radio: Series One
Wisdom of the Elders Radio: Series Two
Wisdomof the Elders Radio: Series Three
Turtle Island Storytellers Network (TISNET)
This American Indian online speakers bureau highlights web pages of 70 gifted oral historians, storytellers, and song carriers from the Pacific Northwest and Great Plains.
The Seven Commandments of the White Buffalo Calf Maiden: Martin High Bear (1919-1995)
This biography of WOTE's founder, the late Lakota medicine man and spiritual leader, Martin High Bear is expected to be completed during 2009 and published in 2010.
Oral History Collections
WOTE has recorded more than 250 indigenous elders and conducted over a dozen oral history recording projects since 1993. Video and audio recordings will be used to develop American Indian mental health and addictions rehabilitation and recovery materials.
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Our projects include:
* Wisdom of the Elders Radio Program and its website at www.wisdomoftheelders.org which shares our first three series of American Indian radio programs. Our programs are heard on American Indian Radio on Satellite, on other public radio stations nationwide and internationally, and at our website.
* Turtle Island Storytellers Network , our American Indian speakers bureau which includes gifted oral historians, storytellers, song carriers and others from the Northwest and Great Plains, with plans currently underway to expand to the six states of the Southwest. This speakers bureau is online at www.turtleislandstorytellers.net.
* Northwest Indian Storytellers Association which was formed in 2005 to encourage, preserve and strengthen traditional storytelling and oral cultural arts among tribes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. NISA held its third annual gathering in January 2008.
* Wisdom of the Elders Curriculum Project is our newest project, featuring multimedia American Indian curriculum materials for schools, in a collaboration with the State of Oregon Department of Education's Indian Education office and others.
* The biography of WOTE's founder, the late Lakota medicine man and spiritual leader, Martin High Bear. The Seven Commandments of the White Buffalo Calf Maiden: Martin High Bear (1919-1995) .
When you become a member of Friends of Wisdom of the Elders , you agree to make a financial contribution to help our projects succeed, and also encourage your friends and colleagues to become involved. You can make a donation at any level you choose within four circles of giving over a one year period, either a one time contribution or periodically.
In return, we will gift you with a CD of one of our radio programs and then send you a quarterly newsletter that helps to keep you informed of our latest activities and plans. Sometimes newsletters also include excerpts from transcripts of gifted elders, tribal historians and storytellers.
Currently, we are developing the Friends of Wisdom of the Elders web page to acknowledge members of Friends of Wisdom of the Elders, and your name will be included along with our national fundors, National Park Service, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and local foundations, which includes Meyer Memorial Trust, Spirit Mountain Community Fund and Oregon Arts Commission. Newsletters are sent by e-mail. If you do not have e-mail, let us know and we'll mail them.
In addition, you will develop greater understanding and appreciation for the diversity of American Indian oral history and cultural arts still thriving among more than 550 nations in America today. You will learn more about traditional indigenous cultural values which have been obscured by history and misunderstanding. Most important, you'll know you are supporting WOTE's vision and mission of American Indian cultural preservation, education and race reconciliation.
Indian Marketplace
We are now making our radio series, individual radio programs, and the Judy Trejo Archival CD Collection available on the Indian Marketplace, our gift shop. Proceeds help to fund the projects of Wisdom of the Elders, Inc.
