The Portland metropolitan area, and the entire area of the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers, is the traditional homeland and fishing and gathering range of tribes throughout the region. Oregon Origins Project honors the peoples who have cared for the land since time immemorial — tribes of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Cowlitz Indian Tribe, and many others. The Portland metropolitan area today is home to the ninth largest urban Native American population in the US, descended from at least 380 tribes from across the country.

Oregon Origins Project seeks to lift up and support the peoples whose lands these are, providing a platform for their artists and culture bearers to share their traditions and artistic work. We encourage you to join us in learning about, honoring, and supporting Indigenous peoples through the following organizations:

Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts
providing a creative conduit for educational, social, and economic opportunities for Native Americans through artistic development
Komemma Cultural Protection Association (email)
preserving the culture, history, and traditions of the Kalapuya tribes
Native American Youth and Family Center
enhancing the diverse strengths of Native American youth and families through cultural identity and education
Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland
creating a place to preserve and celebrate Native culture, and to tell the Nez Perce story in Wallowa
Northwest American Indian Coalition
restoring, preserving, and protecting the culture, heritage, and land of the Northwest American Indian people
Siletz Tribal Arts and Heritage Society
supporting and promoting the practice, conservation, and restoration of the tribal cultures of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Tananáwit: A Community of Warm Springs Artists
empowering people and building knowledge and understanding of traditional and contemporary Native art of the Columbia River Plateau