Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. and the Northwest Indian Storytellers Association

Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. 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. A 501(c)(3) not for profit corporation, we share these teachings with younger generations of American Indians as well as public audiences of all cultures via Wisdom of the Elders Radio and curriculum materials, the Northwest Indian Storytellers Association, Turtle Island Storytellers Network, and other educational venues.


The Northwest Indian Storytellers Association (NISA) and its Advisory Council was formed in October 2005 to encourage, preserve and strengthen traditional storytelling and oral cultural arts among tribes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. We are honored to present a few of the regions finest traditional storytellers during this evening storytelling session. We will open in the native way with a song from the region and an invocation by a spiritual elder. We welcome our guests to join us for dinner prior to the evening's storytelling session.

Storytelling and song are as old as civilization. In the long ago time, tribal stories were passed down to the next generations by revered keepers of stories. Every culture relied on oral tradition to preserve history, knowledge and experience and to teach their young. American Indian storytelling is also highly-revered centuries-old oral tradition. In Indian Country, tribal legends and songs touch the hearts, the minds, and the spirits of the people. Because of historical circumstances many of our relatives have never heard these stories. So this evening is an opportunity to connect with the stories of the elders and the knowledge of the past. The lessons and wisdom taught in those stories are needed here today in this unprecedented time in which we live.