In partnership with Hillsboro’s Bag&Baggage Productions, the Native Theater Project is setting the stage to celebrate Native voices by producing Native stories by Native artists, supporting storytelling sovereignty, developing Native leaders, and enhancing the cultural competency of the American theater ecosystem. 

In September 2024, the Native Theater Project debuted its first full production, Diné Nishłį (I Am A Sacred Being) or, A Boarding School Play by playwright Blossom Johnson.

Their new production, Antikoni by Beth Piatote, will be coming in June 2026, with auditions being held on November 8. 

Learn more about the Native Theater Project's work in Hillsboro and stay tuned for more to come!

Celebrating Riverbed, Public Art by Lillian Pitt at Hillsboro Civic Center

The basalt canyons of the Columbia River Gorge echo through the terraces of Hillsboro’s Civic Center Plaza.

Within the ancient igneous rocks, renowned Northwest artist Lillian Pitt captured history from the peoples of the Columbia River Plateau through more than 31 replicas of ancient petroglyphs.

Born on the Warm Springs Reservation, Pitt is a descendant of Wasco, Yakama, and Warm Springs people. 

She has been the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, including the 1990 Governor’s Award of the Oregon Arts Commission.

Learn more about Riverbed. 

Native American Public Art of Portland 

Created by PSU historian, Dr. Tracy Prince and Data Science specialist Price Schaffer, worked together to identify and locate over 100 sites of Native art in the Portland Metro region, much of which was hard to find, poorly marked, and often non-existent online. The pair created a walking tour, map, and website to document and feature native artists from across Oregon. 

Take a walking tour of Native American public art in Downtown Portland.

Native Art Classes at WildCraft Studio School

In collaboration with Northwest Native artists, WildCraft has created an educational platform for the original craft traditions of this region to persist and thrive. Their Native Arts programming offers educational experiences that demonstrate the profoundly deep and significant connections between craft, culture, and landscape. 

Native Arts + Cultures Foundation

The Native Arts + Cultures Foundation advances equity and cultural knowledge, focusing on the power of arts and collaboration to strengthen Native communities and promote positive social change with American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples in the United States. 

Portland Art Museum Native American Art Collection

Explore the Native American Art collection at the Portland Art Museum. 

Honoring the Rich Landscape of Native Artists and Performers from Oregon 

Created by the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon, this list of local Native Artists includes those from the Visual Arts, Musicians, and Actors and Performers. 

The City of Hillsboro has adopted a land acknowledgment statement recognizing the Atfalati-Kalapuyans as the ancestorial people of the Tualatin Valley and the role government has played in colonization of indigenous people.   

The land acknowledgment statement could be read at City events and activities, including groundbreaking ceremonies, ribbon cuttings, cultural celebrations, meetings, and more. 

The statement was developed by an indigenous community engagement group with representatives from nine tribes in partnership with Washington County. Hillsboro is the first city to adopt the statement approved by Washington County in 2022. 

City of Hillsboro Adopts Land Acknowledgment Statement

The Kalapuya and Atfalati tribes were the First People in Western Washington County. There is a rich and thriving Native community in Hillsboro, Washington County, and Oregon at large.

Today, there are nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon, and the Native people in our community also hail from others of the 562 sovereign nations in the U.S. 

Currently, there are more than 10,000 Native American people in Washington County, with almost half living in Hillsboro. This population is increasing.

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, are two sovereign tribal nations that inhabit Hillsboro-area land, among others.

Bison Coffee House

Portland's only Native-owned coffeehouse, serving the Cully neighborhood with a carefully curated roster of Native and local roasters, locally sourced beverages, and a selection of delicious baked goods lovingly created on premises.   

Visit the Bison Coffee House website.

Good Rain Farm

x̌ast sq̓it (hast squeit) translates to Good Rain in the traditional language of the sngaytskstx (Sinixt) the Arrow Lakes Peoples. Farm Founder Michelle is of Sinixt ancestry. The farm is located on the rainy, foggy, grey west side of the Cascades. x̌ast sq̓it Farm believes that through connection to a place we can rebuild a culture of respect, honor, gratitude and reciprocity. 

Visit the Good Rain Farm website.

Javelina

Chef Alexa Numkena-Anderson was born in Yakima, Washington and grew up on the Yakama Reservation in Toppenish, Washington. Her cuisine tells a larger story that centers on the perseverance of Indigenous food, and the struggle of Indigenous Peoples displaced from their ancestral lands. She wants to help her community eat traditional foods again and educate guests about what North American cuisine should be. 

Visit the Javelina website.

Tutuilla True Fish

Tutuilla True Fish is an Oregon Native American-owned and operated fishery that fishes East up the Columbia River as Native ancestors have for hundreds of generations. Tutuilla provides ethically caught and harvested salmon to the public at fair-trade prices using methods that promote conservation and full life cycles.

Visit Tutuilla True Fish on Instagram.

Rose High Bear, Executive Producer of Wisdom of the Elders. Photo by Christine Dong.

The Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) is a family of numerous tribes and voices who are rooted in sustaining tradition and building cultural wealth. They provide culturally specific programs and services that guide our people in the direction of personal success and balance through cultural empowerment. 

The Oregon Indian Education Association focuses on closing the academic achievement gap for Native American youth.

Wisdom of the Elders is a Portland-based storytelling and culture-keeping organization.

Check out the Native Wellness Institute, a Gresham-based organization promoting the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of North America’s Indigenous peoples.

Books

Kids

• Native American Heritage Month: Picture Books for Children
  
  
• Native American Heritage Month for Young Readers

Teens

• Native American Heritage Month Books for Teens

Adults

Books

• Celebrate Native American Heritage Month for Adults

Watch

Streaming recommendations are available on Kanopy. Watch for free with your library card and password.

• Films for Native American Heritage Month on Kanopy