By Marie Gettel-Gilmartin, Fertile Ground Communications (written in 2021; updated for 2025)

Many of us grew up learning the myth of Native Americans teaching the struggling pilgrims how to survive and celebrating with a feast in 1621. But for most Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a day of mourning.

Thanksgiving is in fact a holiday of colonizers.

What actually happened on Thanksgiving?

As Claire Bugos writes in the Smithsonian, “Massacres, disease, and American Indian tribal politics shaped the Pilgrim-Indian alliance at the root of the holiday.” The settlers stole land, spread disease, and exploited resources from the Wampanoag tribe. Then King Philip’s War “devastated the Wampanoags and forever shifted the balance of power in favor of European arrivals.”

Each year, Native American people gather to honor their ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples on the National Day of Mourning. Thanksgiving serves as a reminder of the unjust treatment that Native Americans have continued to receive since the 1620 Plymouth landing.

What is Oregon doing to shift the narrative about native stories and honor native peoples?

• KOIN 6 celebrates Native American Heritage Month with “KOIN Storytellers: Indigenous Life in the Northwest,” highlighting powerful stories from across our Native community. The special features the Native American Youth and Family Center’s Oscar Arana, Representative Tawna Sanchez, and Paul Lumley, along with moving segments on Elders who survived boarding schools. Thanks to the incredible work happening every day across NAYA in affordable housing, accessible childcare, Indigenous food sovereignty, youth education, and economic development. You can watch the special here.

• NAYA hosts Culture Nights each first and third Wednesday nights. They also celebrated their 22nd annual gala and auction earlier this month. Follow and donate to this great organization, which serves over 10,000 community members from nearly 400 Tribes across the country.
• The Willamette Falls Trust offers a number of great resources, including Native-owned businesses, book recommendations, events, and more.
• The Portland Art Museum is showcasing several amazing Native artists, including Marie Watt (Seneca), Dyani White Hawk (Lakota), Gail Tremblay (Onondaga and Mi’kmaq), Nan MacDonald (Metis and Algonquin), and Silas Aittauq (Inuit), to name a few.
• Willamette University is featuring “Ancestral Dialogues: Conversations in Native American Art” on permanent view in the Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde Gallery.
• The World Forestry Center, in cooperation with Indigenous artists and the High Desert Museum, features “Sasquatch: Ancestral Guardians,” until January 4, 2026. Indigenous peoples have long been in relationship with and shared stories about sacred forest protectors, often called Sasquatch and Bigfoot.
• The Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts shared an incredible list of suggestions, “Five Ways to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month in Reciprocity, Not Just Symbolism.”
• Multnomah County Library is offering a series of opportunities, including Native Storytime and Edible Native American Plants on 12/2,
• Our member organization, the Native Arts and Culture Foundation, is a Native-led national organization committed to mobilizing Native artists, culture bearers, communities, and leaders to influence positive social, cultural, and environmental change. The foundation offers grants and funding to support Native artists in their creative endeavors.
• The Grand Ronde tribes have an excellent collection of tribal history curriculum videos for grades kindergarten to tenth.
• Oregon universities and colleges now offer financial assistance to members of the 574 federally recognized Tribes.
• The Oregon Department of Education rolled out a “Tribal History/Shared History” curriculum in 2020. Oregon schools now have historically accurate and culturally inclusive lessons about Native Americans. Oregon’s nine Tribes collaborated on this curriculum to banish stereotypes, myths, and inaccuracies.

What can we do in our organizations or at home to decolonize Thanksgiving?

• Think about what you eat for Thanksgiving dinner. How did these foods come to you? You can buy American Indian foods from local Tribes and businesses.
• Volunteer your services on Thursday, 11/27 or Sunday, 11/30 by helping out at Unthanksgiving events. Since 2021, NAYA has gathered community on the fourth Thursday in November, National Day of Mourning according to our Wampanoag relatives, to shift the narrative from a misleading colonial holiday toward one of mourning genocide and celebrating Indigenous survival. This year, they invite volunteers to join in honoring the land, uplifting Indigenous food sovereignty, and supporting the garden that nourishes our community year-round. Come lend a hand, learn, and stand in solidarity with Native peoples. Registration required.

• Visit the Indigenous Marketplace at SE Uplift on 11/28 and 29 and support Native artists and craftspeople.

• Visit Blackfish Gallery’s collaboration with NAYA, a holiday market on December 6.

• Buy from Oregon’s Native artists and performers, as we shared in this article from 2022.
• Visit the “We Are the Land” public art installation in Portland, a collaboration between the City of Portland and indigena (an Indigenous storytelling cooperative), the City Arts Program, Regional Arts and Culture Council, Multnomah County, and Metro.
• Learn which Tribes are native to Oregon.
• Donate to and follow local Native American organizations, such as the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, the  Native American Youth and Family Center, and Wisdom of the Elders.
• Visit Native-owned farms and restaurants around the state and buy from Native-owned businesses.
• Plan an Oregon vacation to celebrate Indigenous Oregon by visiting Travel Oregon’s website.
• Listen to perspectives on thanksgiving from Wampanoag youth or watch a brilliant Native American film.
• Unlearn myths with your kids. The Portland Public Schools website has some excellent resources. Read books about Thanksgiving by indigenous authors, such as Catherine O’Neill Grace’s 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving and Joseph Bruchac’s Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving. Or use this great hands-on activity from Teaching Tolerance. Get adult book suggestions from firstnations.org.
• Support contemporary Indigenous struggles by learning about the #LandBack movement and current land struggles faced by the Mashpee Wampanoag people. The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture has a virtual resource pack on its Honor Native Land page.
• Find out what your community is doing to support the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women’s crisis.
• Follow the work of indigenous-led organizations such as Native American Rights Fund, Illuminatives, National Congress of American Indians, and the American Indian College Fund...or organizations here in Oregon.

Arts and culture are two of the best ways to honor Native Americans and decolonize Thanksgiving, as we’re reminded by Joy Harjo, U.S. Poet Laureate and board chair of the Native Arts and Culture Foundation:

“We’ve come to a point in the world of great challenge, but also great opportunity, in which to revise and revitalize our communities. How do we do that? It always comes back to the arts, because arts revitalize, they tell us who we are, they tell us where we’re going and where we’ve been. Art makes connections on a deep soul level; it connects us in a way beyond words.”
-Joy Harjo

We can still be thankful while acknowledging the harm done to Native peoples by this holiday. To decolonize Thanksgiving, we need to examine our history to begin the healing process.

The Coalition acknowledges the many Tribes and bands who call Oregon their ancestral territory, including: Burns Paiute; Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw; Confederated Tribes of Cow Creek Lower Band of Umpqua; Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians; Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation; Coquille Tribe; and Klamath Tribes. We honor the ongoing relationship between the land, plants, animals and people indigenous to this place we now call Oregon. We recognize the continued sovereignty of the nine federally recognized Tribes who have ties to this place and thank them for continuing to teach us how we might all be here together.

The post Decolonizing Thanksgiving in Oregon 2025 appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

Community Advocacy Delivered

This year, the arts community showed up—and lawmakers listened. From an energized Advocacy Day at the Capitol to hundreds of emails, phone calls, and heartfelt testimonies throughout the session, Oregon’s arts supporters made their voices impossible to ignore. And it paid off.

Capital Investments across Oregon

One of the most exciting outcomes: full funding for all 13 projects recommended through the Cultural Resources Economic Fund(CREF). In total, $8.275 million will go to build, restore, and preserve beloved community spaces across the state—from Coos Bay to Bend, Jacksonville to Salem. These peer-reviewed projects, each ranging from $150,000 to $2 million, represent every corner of Oregon and will deliver long-term cultural and economic value to their regions.

“These 13 CREF projects represent more than bricks and mortar—they’re investments in the heart of our communities,” said Ginger Savage, who led the statewide CREF advocacy effort. “From rural towns to urban centers, these cultural spaces bring people together, tell our stories, and drive local economies. I’m incredibly proud that, even in a tough budget year, the legislature recognized the value of these projects and made a commitment to Oregon’s cultural future.”

Historic Preservation Incentives Reauthorized

In another major win, legislators reauthorized Oregon’s Special Assessment for Historic Properties program—a vital tax credit that had expired. The program encourages investment in historic buildings by providing a discounted tax assessment for ten years in exchange for appropriate preservation improvements. This outcome reflects years of advocacy by Restore Oregon and other preservation and arts partners and will ensure Oregon’s architectural and cultural heritage continues to thrive.

Progress on Anchor Arts Funding

While lawmakers did not fund the six large arts organizations the way we had proposed in an amendment to HB 3189, they did make investments in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Portland Center Stage.

Oregon Arts Commission Funding Holds Steady

While the legislature did not approve the increase we sought for the Oregon Arts Commission, we’re grateful its budget was not cut, unlike many other state agencies and programs. In a year marked by deep economic uncertainty, budget writers made the broad decision to avoid committing to any new ongoing expenses. Even so, maintaining the Arts Commission’s current funding level reflects lawmakers’ recognition of the vital role it plays in supporting artists, organizations, and cultural programming across the state. And we’ll continue advocating for that increase.

A Historic Letter from the Arts & Culture Caucus

“I am thrilled to see the CREF slate fully funded…it’s such an important opportunity to support arts and culture organizations across the state,” said Rep. Rob Nosse (D-Portland), co-chair of the Arts & Culture Caucus. “We are looking to the future and we aren’t giving up on increasing the grant fund program for the Arts Commission.”

Looking Ahead

In a year when budget writers had every reason to pull back—facing a $500 million drop in projected revenue and extreme uncertainty in federal funding —arts and culture not only held the line, but advanced. These wins reflect a growing understanding that investing in creativity, culture, and history strengthens every community in Oregon.

We’re grateful to our champions in the legislature—including Rep. Nosse and caucus co-chair Sen. Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City)—and to every advocate who helped get us here.

We’re not done. These wins are a foundation to build on as we continue working toward increased operating support for the Oregon Arts Commission, stronger cultural infrastructure, and equitable investment in every region.

The post Oregon’s Arts & Culture Sector Scores Key Legislative Wins Despite Budget Challenges appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

From our friends at the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies:

Congress has begun its FY2026 budget deliberations. They will set federal funding levels for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Because the White House “Skinny Budget” recommended elimination of the agency, this work has extra importance this summer. It will take a strong chorus of voices to protect the NEA and sustain the 40% of grant funds that go to states.

The post Contact Senator Jeff Merkley today to advocate for the NEA appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

In May the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) sent grant cancellation notices to dozens of Oregon institutions. These cancellations are a massive blow to many small arts institutions that had already made budget and hiring decisions based on promised federal support, particularly heading into the busy summer season. 

We are asking members of congress to sign on to a letter to President Trump urging him to restore these cancelled grants.  As of this writing, only Rep. Suzanne Bonamici has signed the letter but we are urging full participation from Oregon representatives. We’ve provided a letter template you can send to the staff member in charge of arts and culture issues for our congressional delegations. Please email these staff members directly. 

The post Urge the reversal of NEA grant cancellations appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

What’s at Stake:

We are urging lawmakers to champion three key funding priorities:

• Oregon Arts Commission: $10 million to elevate Oregon’s per capita arts investment and support arts organizations statewide. (HB 3189)
• CREF Slate Funding: Full funding for 13 shovel-ready capital projects across Oregon to create jobs and strengthen arts infrastructure. (HB 3191)
• Support for Large Arts Organizations: $5.5 million in one-time funding to sustain Oregon’s flagship institutions and match private donations. (HB 3189)

These investments are more than just numbers—they represent jobs, economic recovery, education, and the soul of our communities.

What You Can Do:

Contact your legislators today—whether or not they represent your district. The time is now to push them to act on behalf of Oregon’s arts and culture sector. Below is a draft letter you can send to any legislator or member of the Oregon Arts & Culture Caucus.

Sample Letter:

Dear [Legislator’s Name],

As the legislative session wraps up, I urge you to support critical arts funding:

$10 million for the Oregon Arts Commission (HB 3189) to support arts organizations statewide.

Full funding for CREF (HB 3191) to create jobs and improve arts & culture infrastructure.

$5.5 million for large arts & culture organizations (HB 3189) to sustain flagship institutions.

These investments are essential to Oregon’s economy, culture, and community well-being. Please advocate for these priorities before the session ends.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Organization]

Why Now?

The clock is ticking—these funding decisions will shape Oregon for years to come. Contact your legislators now and urge them to act before the session ends. Your voice makes a difference.

Thank you for standing up for Oregon’s arts and culture sector!

The post Urgent Call to Action: Advocate for the Arts in Oregon appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

THANKS to all of you who came together last week to share your stories and amplify our message in support of funding the arts & culture sector!

It was so wonderful to connect and spend a little bit of time together, and I found myself continually inspired by the brilliant and passionate testimony shared throughout the day. Cheers to all of you who showed up! In nearly 50 meetings with legislators and staff across the Capitol last Tuesday, we made an impact, and we could not have done it without each of you who attended.

If you attended this year’s Advocacy Day, we would love to have your feedback, as well as any insight you might have gained in personal meetings and interactions with legislators. Please take this 5-minute survey (we promise, it won’t take longer than that!). Your continued engagement and perspectives are so valuable to us as we look to carry the momentum of Advocacy Day through the rest of this session, and again, we are grateful!

One last shout-out of love and thanks (for now) to Ryan Fisher and Alec MacDonald-Factor, our fantastic lobbying team; Tom Fohn, Mark Woodworth, and the whole staff at the Elsinore Theatre; Lisa Lipton, Emily Cole, Dana Whitelaw, Claire Blaylock, the Oregon Arts Commission and Oregon Cultural Trust; and the CACO Board of Directors. All of them helped to make this year’s Advocacy Day possible.

And again, thanks to each of you who made the effort to get to Salem for the day. This work truly takes every single one of us–every email to your representatives, every meeting with their staff members, every relationship you forge and maintain–and we are so grateful for your time and energy. View some photos below.

We’ll be sure to keep you posted as the session moves forward, and we encourage you to stay in touch, continuing to share your stories, build connections, and inspire us all along the way.

Best,
Cassie Greer, Advocacy Day Chair

Advocacy pays off! We got mentioned in Senator Lisa Reynolds’ email update:

Andrew had the pleasure of meeting with folks as part of the Arts and Culture Caucus lobby day. From the World Forestry Center to the Children’s Theater and the Portland5, Senate District 17 is home to several important art organizations, which are vital to Portland and our state! As a member of the Arts and Culture Caucus, I urge my colleagues on the Joint Ways and Means Committee to fully fund these essential organizations.

The post Thanks for being great advocates in Salem! appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

Big thanks to those of you who joined our “Advocacy 101” session this week, as we look ahead to our April 15 Advocacy Day! If you were unable to be with us in real-time, you can watch our meeting recording.

The slide deck from our session is available here. You can access the additional resources we discussed in this folder, including a summary of CACO’s legislative priorities for this session, a one-pager on the OAC funding increase (HB3189), details on the current slate of CREF projects (HB3191), and the full ECOnorthwest Literature Review. ECO is distilling this into a one-page format that we share with you on (if not before) April 15.

The next important way to take action is to register to attend Advocacy Day on April 15. As part of your registration, you will be asked to provide the ZIP code of your residence and your place of work/organization. This will enable our NW Public Affairs lobbyist team to set up meetings with the legislators who represent your districts. We will share more details about meeting times and groups of attendees in the first week of April; part of our time on the morning of April 15 will be spent connecting with other advocates from your district(s) to prepare for your group meetings. 

Between now and then, you can prepare your own brief (1-2 minutes) personal story that illustrates:

• A powerful learning moment you’ve witnessed
• A powerful moment of connection between unlikely people
• An example of healing or contribution to a person’s well-being
• An example of how people saw the world differently after an encounter with art or history

Ryan Fisher at NW Public Affairs has provided a basic template for meetings with legislators:

• Vision: We want to live in a state where kids can visit museums and be inspired by music, theater and dance; where artists can thrive and create; and our communities can have cultural and artistic anchors with thriving economies.
• Problem: Right now museums and the arts are important to Oregonians, but there’s a disconnect between the tremendous value Oregonians see in the arts and the small investment the state makes in the arts and culture sector.
• Solution: By raising the Oregon Arts Commission’s budget to $10 million, we can move Oregon’s per capita ranking from 39th to 23rd—boosting investment from just $0.51 to $1.18 per person. This funding increase will ensure that Oregon’s vibrant arts and culture sector can grow and thrive. Funding the Cultural Resource Economic Fund (CREF) slate of 14 capital construction projects will boost local economies and strengthen the resilience of the arts and culture sector across every corner of our state.
• Next several people in the group can share their brief personal stories.
• Ideally, someone in the group can talk about economic impact using one of the talking points provided in the ECOnorthwest one-pager.

You can also register to attend and testify at sessions of the Ways and Means Roadshow, with six stops around the state over the next month. This could be a great spot to practice your 1-2 minute impact story, and it will also give you a sense of the many priorities that our legislators are confronting this session.

If you are newer to advocacy work or don’t have an existing connection with your elected officials, you can use this tool to find your legislators, including their email addresses and websites.

Here’s a rough outline of this year’s Advocacy Day activities, so you can plan accordingly:

• Monday, April 14 – 4:30-6:00 PM – Community Reception at Willamette Heritage Center, presented in partnership with the Oregon Arts Commission and the Oregon Cultural Trust
• Tuesday, April 15 – 8:30-10:30 AM – Advocacy Day kickoff at the Elsinore Theatre
• Tuesday, April 15 – 11:00 AM-1:00 PM – Floor sessions at the capitol; lunch on your own
• Tuesday, April 15 – 1:00-5:00 PM – Meetings with individual legislators

Thank you, all, for your dedication to the well-being of our sector! If you have questions or are looking for additional resources, please contact me at cassie@cassiegreer.com.

Best,

Cassie Greer
Advocacy Day Committee Chair

The post Advocacy 101 recap appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

Did you know?

Legislators can be influenced to vote a certain way if they hear from less than 50 of their constituents.

Talking to legislators about arts & culture is a highly effective way to encourage them to take action.

This year’s Advocacy Day will be on Tuesday, April 15.

Please save the date in your calendar now!

We’ll kick it off the night before at 4:30 p.m. with a community reception at the Willamette Heritage Center, cosponsored by the Oregon Arts Commission and the Oregon Cultural Trust. Register now!

REGISTER FOR ADVOCACY DAY 2025

Then, on Tuesday morning, we’ll gather at the Elsinore Theatre to hear some remarks, receive some final advocacy resources, and enjoy some community together, before heading over to the Capitol. A change for this year: we will schedule the meetings for you! Registration details coming soon.

Our message is powerful when our voices and intentions are united. In 2025 we are focusing on increasing the grants budget of the Oregon Arts Commission to $10 million to support providers across the state; providing capital to 14 arts & culture community projects; and encouraging investment in preservation and reuse of historic properties. Read more about these legislative priorities on our website.

We’ll help you get prepared for Advocacy Day. Read on!

Thank you for all you do to keep our Oregon communities vibrant. We look forward to continuing to advocate with and for you!

Best,

Cassie Greer
Advocacy Day Chair

The post Advocacy Day 2025 and Advocacy 101 training appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

The evening began with a welcome from Rep. Rob Nosse and Sen. Dick Anderson, caucus co-chairs. Other speakers were Dana Whitelaw, chair of the CACO board (read her remarks here); Lisa Mensah, president and CEO of the Oregon Community Foundation; Carrie Hoops, executive director of the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation; Sean Andries, chair of the Oregon Cultural Trust; and Subashini Ganeshan-Forbes, chair of the Oregon Arts Commission and an ex-oficio member of the CACO board.

After the speeches, the wonderful music and poetry began, interspersed with beautiful videos about the arts in Oregon. The event was emceed and curated by Darrell Grant, professional jazz pianist, composer, and educator. First we had a beautiful sung land acknowledgement by “Generations,” a group of Indigenous drummers, singers and dancers, claiming Oregon as our own. Next was Buffalo Kin, a musical duo from Fossil, Oregon, singing traditional cowboy folk tunes and haunting original pieces. Past Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani read his poem “The Lemon Tree,” accompanied by beautiful jazz piano with Darrell Grant. Husband-wife duo Dreckig played the flute and sang some electronic music.

Next was acclaimed Mexican singer Edna Vasquez, who sings with Pink Martini. Vasquez treated us to a gorgeous original song called Ixim Ixoq (Mujer Maiz).  Edna is a fearless singer, songwriter, composer, and guitarist whose powerful voice and musical talent transcend the boundaries of language to engage and uplift her audience.

Finally esperanza spalding closed out the program with several songs, including Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder covers. esperanza was born and raised in the Portland area and after teaching herself to play violin, began performing as a violinist in the Chamber Music Society of Oregon at age five! Called “the 21st century’s jazz genius” by National Public Radio, esperanza has won four Grammy Awards, including best new artist in 2011, the first jazz artist to win that award. Last August she released a collaborative album, Milton + Esperanza, with Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento.

She led the audience in a singalong, “We shall receive all that we need…all that we need, we shall receive,” tying that back to our appeal for greater arts funding in 2025.

In addition to all the performers listed above, thanks to the following people and organizations: Oregon Community Foundation, James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, Independent Venue Coalition of Oregon, Elsinore Theatre, Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon, Cultural Advocacy Foundation, Oregon Arts Commision,  Oregon Cultural Trust, Darrell Grant, Adolpho Canto-Real, Claire Blaylock, and all of the volunteers who helped pull off a great event!

The post Inspirational 2025 kickoff of Oregon Arts & Culture Caucus appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

• HB 3189: Improving access to state funding for arts & culture providers ($10 million) (more info)
• HB 3191: Providing capital to 14 arts & culture capital projects around the state ($9.325M) (more info)
• Supporting one-time funding for large arts organizations to match private philanthropic commitments ($5.5M) 
• HB 3190: Encouraging investment in preservation and reuse of historic properties (more info)

The post CACO priorities for 2025 appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.