This blog is a group blog for the five VISTAs serving at the Portland based non-profit, Wisdom of the Elders. We'll be posting weekly, so we hope you'll enjoy following along on our projects and endeavors.
As a (very) recent transplant from the northeast I am looking forward to getting to know both Portland and the greater northwest and am thrilled to be a part of the greater Wisdom community here.
Hello, my name is Fox Blackhorn-Delph and I'm going to be the VISTA working to build the capacity of NISA over the next year. I am Kahosadi Nation or Rogue River Shasta with desires to pursue a career in Tribal Law. I came to WISDOM from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington where I focused on Colonization and Decolonization studies with particular interest in the legal system's role as a colonial institution and vehicle for maintaining sovereignty. I was blessed to have been raised on the stories of my people and am excited to be working on a project that seeks to provide that same opportunity to the community.
I am incredibly excited and honored to be working with NISA and Wisdom of the Elders and I look forward to all of the work ahead of me in the coming year.
Should anyone like to reach me for any reason please don't hesitate to send me an e-mail at fox@wisdomoftheelders.org
Hello!
I will be serving as the Production Assistant for Wisdom of the Elders Radio for this year. I moved to Oregon about four years ago and immediately became infatuated with its natural beauty and abundance of activism. I was drawn to Wisdom as an organization because it takes a truly holistic approach to community development and healing.
The next radio series will focus on the impacts of climate change on indigenous communities and sustainable responses to it. I will be using my background as a climate justice activist and experience producing radio at KBOO to help educate about climate change and strengthen connections between Native communities all over the country. A primary goal of the radio series will be to encourage Native and other under-served youth to enroll in science and math classes. The radio program will be part of a culturally-tailored, multimedia curriculum that will be offered to schools.
I'm excited to learn more about indigenous cultures and climate change, meet more excellent folks in the Portland community and beyond, and to gain more radio production experience this year.
Onward!
isobel
Hello all!
My name is Jacob Baynes and my official title is Development Assistant. This includes, but not limited to all sorts of fun, fund and friend-raising. I am from the Pacific Northwest and have a very clear and deep connection to the land and the people. Although my formal education began in Central Oregon and later brought me to the University of Oregon in Eugene, I have traveled and learned throughout North, Central and South America both formally and non-formally. My goals and education gave me the opportunity to explore the environment, educational systems, Cross-cultural ways of knowing, appropriate technologies, sustainable farming practices and various perspectives on community development. This, along with many tangible experiences such as garden education, ESL instruction, Forest botany and mind/body work have given me a wide range of skills to better produce, record and spread worthwhile information for the betterment of the WISDOM community. Our momentous goals, wonderful leadership and unbridled enthusiasm already seem to be a perfect recipe for this years’ WISDOM VISTA team. I am very excited for the opportunity to work with such like-minded folks. -Jacob
hello, I'm Kaitlyn Rich - the Micro-business Development VISTA here at Wisdom of the Elders. I'll be working on developing Wisdom Gardens - the first of which is right here at our office. Our hope is to develop a plan for a CSA, as well as, opportunities for other hub-site gardens to bring together our elders and youth around healthy food , storytelling, and micro-business. I'm really looking forward to meeting gardeners in the Wisdom community and the larger Portland area.
My education is in graphic and web design with some dabbling in film production and photography. I love working with my hands and do-it-yourself projects - the culture of which is strong and alive in Portland. I've been gardening for several years, most recently for The Greater Lansing Food Bank, located in Lansing, MI. One of the draws of gardening, for me, is the great feeling of being self sufficient and connected to the little decisions we make about what to nourish our bodies with. I'm a Michigan native, and have been living in Portland for almost a year now. I'm happy to be here and can't wait for what this year will bring.
My education is in graphic and web design with some dabbling in film production and photography. I love working with my hands and do-it-yourself projects - the culture of which is strong and alive in Portland. I've been gardening for several years, most recently for The Greater Lansing Food Bank, located in Lansing, MI. One of the draws of gardening, for me, is the great feeling of being self sufficient and connected to the little decisions we make about what to nourish our bodies with. I'm a Michigan native, and have been living in Portland for almost a year now. I'm happy to be here and can't wait for what this year will bring.
