Thank You Portland Nursery!

Hi All,
Last week we planted some winter starts in our backyard garden space. It was a nice day to be outside, tidying up the backyard before our Elderberry Harvest Event.
Also, all the straw and plant starts were donated by Portland Nursery. We're really grateful for the community support and resources! Every time I visit Portland Nursery, it's such a fun experience and everyone there is so helpful and friendly. I hope you all, readers, got a chance to enjoy their Apple Tasting Festival, these past two weekends.
Also, we'll be going over a permaculture plan for the backyard soon with students from Tryon Life Community Farm, who recently finished their certification (way to go!). We're looking forward to harvest huckleberries, Oregon grapes, and elderberry from our backyard one day!

Post Festival Reflections

Hello again wonderful viewers in internet land.

The NISA festival has come and gone and in my humble opinion was a smashing success. We had great attendance every night, and the storytellers were as amazing as we could have hoped for. I met many wonderful people this weekend and have made new friends that I hope to stay in contact with for a good while.

The NISA Advisory Council decided to institute more structure within its ranks and elected a chair and vice chair to give direction to the council. The role of the advisory council was fleshed out better so that the members now know what role they play for NISA as well as what role NISA plays within WISDOM. The Advisory Council elected three new members including a youth representative as well as Toby Joseph and myself.

Emerging storyteller workshops went fabulously. There was a lot of heartfelt sharing by all and many of the attendees found the inspiration to tell their story at the emerging storytellers matinee after expressing their own feelings of "being too shy" or "not being a storyteller."

The responses and feedback I heard from people at the festival has made all the chaos and stress of planning this festival worthwhile and I can't wait until next year!

Post NISA

Whew! We're all due for an extended nap.

The NISA festival was AWESOME. A big thank you to everyone who made it out for one or more of the four days of storytelling and especially big kudos to everyone who helped to make it happen, from volunteers to master storytellers and from kitchen crew to production team.

This was my first Storytelling Festival and I had a blast. If you didn't get the chance to attend you can hear some of the master storytellers who presented share some of their personal and tribal stories on our website: www.discoveringourstory.org. Check out Woody Morrison, Elaine Grinnell, Ed Edmo, Toby Joseph, and Roger Fernandes. Also on our website is Joe Cantrell, whose photographs from the festival should be uploaded to our facebook account soon!

NISA Festival This Weekend!

Hello fans, friends, and relatives of WISDOM. This Thursday marks the beginning of the Sixth Annual Northwest Indian Storytelling Festival and Emerging Tribal Storyteller Workshops! HOORAY!

So as a special treat to you, I am going to post our unpublished schedule, so you can get a sneak peak at the exciting storytellers we have in store for you!

Thursday, 13 October: 7:00-9:00 PM

6:00 PM Set up tables and booths for the event; contribution and sign-in tables at both doors; raffle table; WISDOM info table; NISA table

6:50 PM Go to podium so we can start at 7:00 PM sharp

7:00 PM Host team welcomes audience to festival

Introduce Cornel Pewewardy who plays opening song and offers prayers

Host and Cornel say a few words about PSU Indigenous Studies

7:10 PM Acknowledge NISA and its mission

Acknowledge Advisory Council members and ask them to stand

7:15 PM Intro Teller #1: Esther Stutzman, Komemma Kalapuya/Coos Storyteller/educator

7:20 PM Teller #1: Esther Stutzman presents (30 minutes)

7:50 PM Mention WISDOM and Discovering Our Story Project

Acknowledge WISDOM board

Acknowledge event and WISDOM volunteers

8:00 PM Introduce Teller #2 Woodrow Morrison, Haida storykeeper and attorney

8:05 PM Teller #2: Woodrow Morrison presents (30 minutes)

8:35 PM Thanks to Audience

Announce end of raffle in 5 minutes

Announcement about weekend’s workshop and festival activities

Host intros Friends of WISDOM; invites audience to become member

8:45 PM Announce raffle winners

8:50 PM Close with a prayer and a song. Close hall at 9:00

Friday, 14 October 2011 – 7:00-10:00 PM

7:00 PM Splac’ta Alla Drum group plays while audience arrives

7:25 PM Host team goes to podium so we can start promptly at 7:30 PM

7:30 PM Host team welcomes audience to festival

Acknowledge sponsors

Introduce Max Defender and give invocation

7:35 PM Max Defender elder gives invocation

7:45 PM Acknowledge NISA and its mission

Acknowledge Advisory Council members and ask them to stand

Acknowledge NISA members and ask them to stand

7:50 PM Introduce Teller #1: Tajuraden Blackhorn-Delph (That's my mom!)

7:55 PM Teller #1: Tajuraden Blackhorn-Delph (30 minutes)

8:25 PM 10 Minute Break

8:35 PM Mention Discovering Our Story Project

Acknowledge WISDOM board

Acknowledge event and WISDOM volunteers

Introduce Teller #2: Toby Joseph

8:40 PM Teller #2: Toby Joseph (30 minutes)

9:10 PM Acknowledge WISDOM board

Acknowledge WISDOM volunteers

Introduce Teller #3: Elaine Grinnell

9:15 PM Teller #3: Elaine Grinnell (30 minutes)

9:45 PM Thanks to audience

Introduce Friends of WISDOM; invite audience to become Friends

9:50 PM Thank audience; mention Saturday festival tellers and Sunday matinee

9:55 PM Close auction

10:00 PM Close with a prayer and song. Close hall at 10:00

Emerging Teller Workshops

Saturday, 15 October

8:00 AM Breakfast

8:45 AM Opening song

9:00 AM Open with prayer

9:05 AM Open group session with a welcome

9:10 AM Introduce all master tellers

9:15 AM Introduce workshop sessions

9:25 AM Break for workshop sessions

9:30-10:30 “What do you want to know about being an effective storyteller?”

10:30-11:00 Break

10:45-12:00 Youth: “Awakening the Spark of Storytelling”/ Adult: “Captivating Your Audience”

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-2:00 Youth: “Captivating Your Audience”/ Adult: “Awakening the Spark of Storytelling”

2:00-2:20 Break

2:20-3:20 “Intellectual Property Rights”

3:40-4:40 “Finding Your Story and Your Voice”

5:00 Dinner

Saturday, 15 October 2011 7:00-10:00 PM

7:00 PM Max Defender Drum plays while audience arrives

7:25 PM Host team goes to podium so we can start promptly at 7:30

7:30 PM Host team welcomes audience to festival

Acknowledge sponsors

Introduce elder to give invocation

7:35 PM Elder gives invocation

7:45 PM Acknowledge NISA and its mission

Acknowledge Advisory Council and ask them to stand

Acknowledge NISA members and ask them to stand

7:50 PM Introduce Teller #1: Darlene Foster

7:55 PM Teller #1: Darlene Foster (30 minutes)

8:25 PM Break for 10 minutes

8:35 PM Mention Discovering Our Story Project

Acknowledge WISDOM board

Acknowledge event and WISDOM volunteers

Introduce Teller #2: Roger Fernandes

8:40 PM Teller #2: Roger Fernandes (30 minutes)

9:10 PM Acknowledge WISDOM board

Acknowledge WISDOM volunteers

Intro Teller #3: Ed Edmo

9:15 PM Teller #3: Ed Edmo (30 minutes)

9:45 PM Thanks to audience

Introduce Friends of Wisdom; invite audience to become member

9:50 PM Thank audience; mention Saturday festival tellers and Sunday Matinee

9:55 PM Close auction

10:00 PM Close with a prayer and a song.

Emerging Storytellers Workshop

Sunday, October 16, 2011

9:00 AM Breakfast

9:30-10:00 AM “Traditional Introductions”

10:45-12:00 Private VIP Matinee

12:00-1:00 PM Lunch

Emerging Storytellers Matinee

Sunday, October 16, 2011

12:50 PM Splac’ta Alla Drum group begins to play just prior to event opening

Host team goes to podium to start event promptly at 1PM

1:00 PM Host team welcomes audience to festival

Acknowledge sponsors of event

Acknowledge NISA and its mission

Acknowledge Advisory Council members and ask them to stand

Acknowledge NISA members and ask them to stand

1:10 PM Invocation by elder

1:25 PM Introduce first group of emerging tellers

1:30 PM Circle of Introduction of first three tellers; 7 minute presentations each

1:55 PM Announcements

2:00 PM Introduce second group of emerging tellers

2:05 PM Circle of intros of second group of tellers; 7 minute presentations

2:30 PM 10 minute break

2:40 PM Announcements

2:45 PM Introduce third group of emerging tellers

2:50 PM Circle of intros of third group of tellers; 7 minute presentations

3:10 PM Announcements

3:15 PM Introduce fourth group of emerging tellers

3:20 PM Circle of intros of fourth group or tellers; 7 minute presentations

3:45 PM Host acknowledges Friends of WISDOM; invites audience to become members

3:50 PM Close silent auction

4:00 PM Closing song and prayer to wrap up festival

Now don't you go leaking this to the media ya hear!!!

On second thought....if you think they'll print it.....>.>

Hi World,

It's been a little while. I'm still here and still planning, thinking, envisioning ways to raise funds. We now have a wonderful Fundraising Committee that has been meeting weekly for the past month, working to provide support for Wisdom projects. It's been fun :). In other news, Oregon's AmeriCorps "kick-off" day was this week as well as the AmeriCorps leadership training, facilitated by Jeff Birdsall, past director of Mt Adams Center for the Northwest Service Academy. I met a lot of amazing and excited folks looking to take part in communities around the state. I especially enjoyed connecting with fellow AmeriCorps serving in the Portland area doing similar work. There are so many amazing organizations out there and now I look forward to connecting with more of them soon. That's it for now. I'll try not to be such a stranger in the coming months. Cheers -Jacob

Hi all -

In celebration of fall and the harvest season - Wisdom is having an Elderberry Harvest Celebration event. Above is the flier, including date, time, description, & location.

You can also check & RSVP at the Facebook event page:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=253085591403028

Hope to see you there!