Each of our programs includes six regular features:
Historical Introduction:
Program Host Arlie Neskahi (Dine, or Navajo) narrates the Introduction to the program, which provides a summary of the original journey of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, includes a Lewis and Clark journal quotation, and a brief history of the tribe involved, sometimes including their original territory and trading partners.
Elder Wisdom:
Features oral accounts of tribal elders who share personal memories and tell about the lives and character of grandparents. These individuals serve as exemplary role models to younger generations and will be featured on our website and later in educational curricula and outreach materials. Elder Wisdom is produced by Brian Bull (Nez Perce), award-winning Assistant News Director at Wisconsin Public Radio, Madison, WI.
Sacred Landscape:
Nez Perce and Cherokee herbalist and educator, Judy Bluehorse Skelton, highlights native elders' stories about the sacred geography of the featured tribe. This includes rich descriptions of the environment traveled to harvest traditional foods, shelter, herbs and other medicines for their families, special relationships with neighboring tribes who were trading partners, and issues of environmental importance in today's world.
Tribal Rhythms:
Presents interviews with musicians from the featured tribe who share the history and background of traditional music and dance, relating the legend or story behind the music, sometimes painting a colorful picture of the dance, and including excerpts of traditional music. This is produced by Clark Salisbury and Larry Johnson, scripted by Milt (Lakota) and Jamie Lee of Lee Productions, and narrated by Nico Wind (Assiniboine).
Contemporary Rhythms:
Using interviews with musicians from the featured tribes, we highlight the colorful roots of contemporary native music as diverse as blues, jazz, country and rock, tell the story of its making, and relate it to the musician's tribal culture. These segments are produced by Milt and Jamie Lee of Lee Productions.
Turtle Island Storytellers :
Spotlights tribal storytellers who share legends, creation stories and other traditional and sometimes contemporary stories that illuminate the roots of the storyteller's cultural identity. These keepers of oral tradition have many voices, many stories, many messages which have been passed down from generation to generation.
Wisdom of the Elders: Series Two
Our second series of eight one-hour public radio programs includes oral history and cultural arts of thirteen nations along the eastern side of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail:
Historical Introduction, which shares expedition and tribal history to provide context for the features. The six cultural arts features are:
Elder Wisdom, produced by Brian Bull (Nez Perce), features oral accounts from tribal elders who reveal stories about the lives and character of exemplary grandparents and ancestors.
Sacred Landscape, produced by Judy Bluehorse Skelton (Nez Perce/Cherokee), highlights tribe’s "sacred geography."
Tribal Rhythms, written by Milt and Jamie Lee (Lakota), produced by Clark Salisbury and Larry Johnson, and narrated by Nico Wind (Assiniboine), relates the history of tribal music and features music selections,
Contemporary Rhythms, produced by Milt and Jamie Lee, highlights the work of contemporary tribal musicians.
Turtle Island Storytellers, spotlights tribal storytellers who share traditional or contemporary stories that illuminate the roots of their cultural identity.
Funding has been provided by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail System, National Parks Service, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This series will be distributed to American Indian radio stations through the AIROS satellite system, to public radio stations via MP3 files from our website, and on CD.
You can still enjoy Wisdom of the Elders Radio: Series One on AIROS and our website at www.wisdomoftheelders.org Wisdom of the Elders celebrated its nationwide launch at a special thanksgiving gathering at 3:00 P.M. on Sunday, April 18, 2004, in Portland, Oregon. Series One continues to be available at our website and in future airings on AIROS and other radio stations requesting them (event photos, thanks to Anne Morin are here.
