Oregon artists of color explore race, power and place in online project
PORTLAND, Ore – From the alien
land laws of the early 1900s to redlin-
ing and urban renewal of Oregon’s black
neighborhoods in the 1990s, federal and
state policies have affected – and continue
to have an impact on – Oregon’s communi-
ties of color.
This Land, an online multimedia
project produced by Oregon Humanities,
collects and connects stories about land,
home, belonging, and identity by Oregon’s
communities of color. The project, which
is made possible by the Creative Heights
Initiative of the Oregon Community Foun-
dation, uses film, words, maps, photos,
sounds, and graphics by artists and writers
of color to build a broader understanding
of how policies and laws shape systems
of power and land ownership in Oregon’s
past and present.
Every few weeks starting in February
2017, stories will be published on the This
Land website (oregonhumanities.org/this-
land), including a film about racist place
names in Oregon, an essay and film about
alien land laws and Chinese hops farm-
ers in the Willamette Valley, audio and an
essay about wildfire policies and tribal
lands, and a film about land ownership
and development in downtown Portland.
Through summer 2017, Oregon
Humanities is seeking new This Land pro-
posals from filmmakers, photographers, and
writers of color. Details about This Land
and the call for proposals can be found
at oregonhumanities.org/this-land/about.
Featured This Land artists to date
include the following:
Donnell Alexander is a Portland-
based creator of cultural content whose
writing and commentary have been fea-
tured in Time, Al Jazeera’s Inside Story
and Narrative Global Politics (Routledge,
2016). He authored the 2003 memoir
Ghetto Celebrity and co-produced the
2009 animated short Dock Ellis & the
LSD No-No.
Tojo Andrianarivo is a freelance pho-
tographer and graphic designer who has
worked in a variety of industries, includ-
ing retail, entertainment, software and
nonprofit organizations. He specializes in
portraiture and also does live music cover-
age for local and national media outlets.
Ezra Marcos Ayala is a commercial
and editorial photographer whose clients
have included PlayStation, Southern
Oregon University, The New York Times
and Travel Medford. He is a husband and
father of three who drives a 24-year-old
Mercedes, likes hot weather year round
and lives in Ashland, Ore.
Ifanyi Bell is a storyteller and art-
ist whose Emmy-nominated work as a
producer for various NPR and PBS sta-
tions spans subject matter ranging from
education to science to arts and culture.
Currently, Bell serves as the director of
video content for Narrative.ly, a nonfiction
storytelling platform based in New York
City. He is also the cofounder of Brushfire
Creative Partners based in Portland.
Jessy Damon, creator and leader of
MidSun Productions, is a freelance audio
engineer. She works in both live sound
and in-studio sessions and across many
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Tribal Maternal, Infant & Early Childhood Home Visiting Program
Naytlh - ‘a “We Carry the Children”
musical genres. Currently, Damon works
with KBOO Community Radio and can
be found engineering live music at various
bars and pubs around the Portland area.
Christine Dupres is a writer, teacher
and citizen of the Cowlitz Tribe. She
is the author of the recently published
Being Cowlitz: How One Tribe Renewed
and Sustained Its Identity (University of
Washington Press) and is working on an
upcoming book entitled Land and Being.
Dupres has a PhD in folklore and folklife
from the University of Pennsylvania.
Zahir Janmohamed is an adjunct
fellow at the Attic Institute where he
teaches nonfiction writing. He is also the
cofounder and cohost of Racist Sandwich,
a Portland-based podcast about food and
race. His articles have appeared in The
New York Times, Foreign Policy, Guer-
nica, The Guardian, The Washington Post
and many other publications.
Ivy Lin is originally from Taipei,
Taiwan. She became a Portlander in
2002 and has been telling Portland’s
lesser-known stories through video since
2007. Lin’s films have been screened
at festivals throughout the Northwest,
including Beauty & the Sea, which won
Best Documentary Short at the Northwest
Filmmakers’ Festival in 2015.
Putsata Reang is an award-winning
Cambodian American journalist and
author, and a graduate of the University of
Oregon’s School of Journalism. Her work
has appeared in publications that include
The New York Times, The Guardian and
Mother Jones. She is currently at work on
a memoir about her family’s experience
fleeing the genocide in Cambodia.
Luis Rodriguez is a native Orego-
nian, born and raised in the Rogue Valley.
He owns LUI-G Films, which specializes
in commercial video and narrative films.
As a passionate filmmaker, he strives to
deliver captivating stories through all
media platforms.
Sika Stanton is an award-winning
photographer and digital content producer
based in Portland.
If you would like to learn more about
the project or get in touch with one of the
artists, please contact Eloise Holland at
503-241-0543/800-735-0543, ext. 123, or
e.holland@oregonhumanities.org.
Oregon Humanities connects Orego-
nians to ideas that change lives and trans-
form communities.
More information about our programs
and publications – which include the
Conversation Project, Think & Drink,
Humanity in Perspective, Public Program
Grants, Responsive Program Grants and
Oregon Humanities magazine – can be
found at oregonhumanities.org.
Oregon Humanities is an indepen-
dent, nonprofit affiliate of the National
Endowment for the Humanities and a
partner of the Oregon Cultural Trust.
!! MAIL ORDER SERVICE AVAILABLE !!
WE CAN NOW PROVIDE MAIL ORDER SERVICE TO ALL SILETZ
TRIBAL MEMBERS LIVING WITHIN THE 11-COUNTY SERVICE AREA.
Please note that this service is not eligible for the “Auto-Fill” program.
ALL “Auto-Fill” prescriptions must be picked up at the pharmacy.
THANK YOU
How has the Siletz Tribal Home Visiting Program helped you and your family
since participating?
“The home visiting program has helped prepare us for our new addition by letting us know what is to be
expected before and after the baby comes and how to best deal with certain situations that come up.”
– Andrea & Robert, 4 months in the program
PHARMACY STAFF
SAVE THE DATE
“I’ve learned all the things I thought I should know that I did not know already with the help and support of
the program. Siletz Tribal Home Visiting Program helped me become a better mom.”
– Shyann, 1 year in the program
“I feel like Siletz Tribal home visits have helped me be more on track when it comes to my child’s development.
Home visits have also helped me keep a better schedule, helping my whole family.”
– Jennifer, 1 year and 9 months in the program
“Getting the help when you’re a new parent is life-saving, to know you are doing it right and if not, finding out
the right way.”
–Samantha, 1 year in the program
Hosted by the Oregon Indian Tribe of …
“The program has helped me to realize there are a lot of different ways to parent and there is always help if you
are willing to look for it. The Siletz Home Visiting Program has helped make my life a little simpler just
knowing I have resources to help me be the best mom I can be.”
– Chandra, 1 year and 10 months in the program
“The Siletz Home Visiting Program has helped me with my child’s growth, my motivation with being a parent
and I’ve also established a friendship.”
– Britnee, 1 year and 8 months in the program
“Home Visiting Program helped us better understand the developmental milestones that our child is at and
also the reassurance that each child is unique and not to be worried. The program has been helpful,
especially with different resources also.”
– Ale & Seth, 1 year and 1 month in the program
“As a first-time mom, Siletz Home Visiting Program has been a good addition to my support system, not
only emotionally, but also mentally.”
-Janet, 1 year and 1 month in the program
If you are interested in or have any questions about our Siletz Tribal Home Visiting Program,
please call Jessica Phillips, Program Coordinator, at 541-484- 4234.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Other Oregon partnering Tribes include:
Coquille Indian Tribe ~ Confederated Tribe of Siletz Indians ~ The Klamath Tribes ~
Burns Paiute ~ Tribe Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs ~
Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians ~ Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
April 19-20, 2017
Grand Ronde, Oregon at,
Spirit Mountain Casino
Come and join other caregivers of native elders and relative caregivers of children from
Northwest Indian communities in this two-day event. You will have the opportunity to
attend valuable workshops that will enhance your caregiving skills and provide you with a
break from your daily responsibilities.
For more information, contact Darlene Aaron darlene.aaron@grandronde.org 503-879-2078
VENDORS- To register, please contact Suzy Deeds at 503-304-3429
April 2017
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