[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2005-12-27

[Heritage Info]

In this issue:
1.  January open house dates announced
2.  National Trust announces two grants, deadlines
3.  Indian storytelling weekend planned
4.  Traditional arts series set for Saturdays at OHS


JANUARY OPEN HOUSE DATES ANNOUNCED

Open houses for properties in the National Register of Historic Places are scheduled during January in Albany, Bend, Hood River, Independence, Lake Oswego, Medford, Parkdale, Portland, Salem, Union and Welches.

Each of the properties receives property tax relief under the state's special assessment program, which freezes a property's assessed value for 15 years for local property tax purposes. Owners of commercial properties may reapply for an additional 15 years. In return for the special assessment benefit, a property owner must hold an annual open house for the public at least one day, per year, for a minimum of four consecutive hours. 

The monthly open house list is distributed through the State Historic Preservation Office and certain participating chambers of commerce, historical societies, assessor's offices and local landmarks offices. It is on the Internet along with other information about the program at <http://egov.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/docs/openhouse_odd_month.pdf>. 


NATIONAL TRUST ANNOUNCES TWO GRANTS, DEADLINES

The National Trust for Historic Preservation Fund has awarded grants to organizations in Portland and Forest Grove, and announced that the deadline for the next rounds of grant programs is approaching.

The National Trust awarded $2,500 to Portland Center Stage to develop, print and distribute a 15-page illustrated booklet detailing the history of the Portland Armory and its importance to the community. The manual will be used to train docents and the resulting research will also be incorporated into future educational pieces such as website and an online teachers' guide. The National Trust also awarded $7,000 to the Friends of Historic Forest Grove to hire consultants to complete an historic structures report and site development plan for the 1850s Alvin T. Smith House.

Applications for the National Trust Preservation Fund Grants, Hart Family Fund for Small Towns, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic interiors, Johanna favrot Fund, and the newly established Battlefield Preservation Fund are being accepted until Feb. 1.  Providiing dollar-for-dollar matching seed money to non-profit organizations and public agencies, the funds can be used for feasibility studies or historic structures reports for endangered buildings and sites; landscape research and planning; fund-raising and media campaign; and interpretation and heritage education activities.

For additional information, contact Melita Jeresa-McDonald at melita_juresa-mcdonald at nthp.org . Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact her in the National Trust's Western Office at 415-956-0610 to  discuss the project prior to submitting an application.


INDIAN STORYTELLING WEEKEND PLANNED

The Northwest Indian Storytelling Festival will be held on the evenings of Jan. 5-7 at the Native American Student and Community Center on the corner of SW Broadway and Jackson Street at the south side of the Portland State University campus in downtown Portland. 

Northwest Indian Storytellers Association sponsors include the National Endowment for the Arts, Multnomah County Cultural Coalition and Umpqua Bank. Events are also being sponsored by United Indian Students in Higher Education & Native American Student & Community Center at PSU, Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Inc., Portland Public School's Title VII Indian Education, the Center for Columbia River History, the Mark Spencer Hotel, and Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. 

The first night of the three-night Storytelling Festival begins at 7 p.m. and will include Elaine Grinnell (Jamestown S'Klallam), Esther Stutzman (Coos & Komemma Kalapuya), and guest storyteller Victor Mandan (Hidatsa and Mandan). Friday event at 7:30 p.m. includes Vi Hilbert (Upper Skagit) who was the first American Indian recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship. Other presenters include Roger Fernandes (Lower Elwha Band of the Klallam Indians), Adeline Miller (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Indian Reservation) and Guest Storyteller Robert Grey Grass (Lakota).   Saturday evening's event at 7:30 p.m. includes Allen Pinkham, Sr. (Nez Perce or Nimiipuu) and Brent Merrill (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Indian Community of Oregon).

Also taking place Jan. 6-7 is the first Northwest Indian Storytellers Gathering & Apprenticeship Workshop. It is open to tribal members in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The host of these events is the newly formed Northwest Indian Storytellers Association, which was formed to encourage, preserve and strengthen traditional storytelling among tribes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. American Indian youth and other tribal members who want to apprentice in traditional tribal storytelling are especially encouraged to attend. Oral historians, musicians and other styles of oral cultural artists are also being welcomed to this gathering.

Anyone interested in registering or being on the mailing list to receive announcements can contact NISA Tribal Liaison Elaine Lanegan by e-mail at liaison at wisdomoftheelders.org or by phone at (503) 777-7140. Be sure to include your name, tribal affiliation, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address. You can also check out the websites at www.wisdomoftheelders.org and www.turtleislandstorytellers.net. 

 
TRADITIONAL ARTS SERIES SET FOR SATURDAYS AT OHS

The Oregon Historical Society is sponsored a Native American Traditional Arts Series beginning Jan. 7 with Taaw-Lee Winch presenting tule mats. The series takes place from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. every Saturday through Feb. 25. Other art forms will include beadwork, conrhusk weaving, sally bag weaving, basketry, cradleboards, and dressmaking and beadwork. One form will be presented each day, except on Feb. 25 when nine artists will demonstrate. 

For more information, contact OHS at www.ohs.org or 503-333-1741.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oregon Heritage News is a service of the Oregon Heritage Commission, which can be contacted at heritage.info at state.or.us