Ed Edmo

Portland, OR — Celebrate spring break by visiting the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) for free on Thursday, March 30, from 10am to 5pm. Special family-friendly activities include live presentations from Native storytellers, a “Tell Your Family Story” craft (available from 12pm to 4pm), and activity pages to help explore OHS’s flagship exhibition, Experience Oregon. 

All cultures, communities, and families have their own ways of passing stories through generations to teach lessons, foster community, and preserve history. For Native communities, storytelling is an intimate tradition that connects the past to the present. Native American culture is rich in oral traditions that pass along customs, rituals, and legends through vivid narratives often told by tribal elders to younger generations. The Oregon Historical Society is grateful to welcome Wilson Wewa and Ed Edmo for two presentations about Native traditions and history.

Wilson Wewa, who will present at 11am, was raised on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in central Oregon, and as a child spent countless hours hearing the stories of his family, Tribe, and lifeways as they pertained to his life. Later, Wewa traveled extensively with his family and especially his grandmother to other parts of the Great Basin, where he met many other Northern Paiute elders who added to his knowledge of his people. He continues to be called on by his people as an orator, storyteller, and funerary officiate. Wewa works for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs as the Senior Wellness Coordinator, a position he has held since 1980, and is consulted by other tribes and organizations in the United States on elders’ issues. Wewa is a frequent attendee at the Return of the Boise River People gathering held each year in Boise, Idaho, where he is usually singled out to share on a number of topics that pertain to Northern Paiute heritage and land. 

Ed Edmo, who will present at 1pm, is a Shoshone-Bannock poet, playwright, performer, traditional storyteller, tour guide, and lecturer on Northwest tribal culture. Edmo was born in Nevada; when he was a baby, his family moved to his father’s ancestral home of Celilo Village along the Columbia River. Edmo is enrolled in the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and also has Yakama and Nez Perce ancestry. Edmo offers guided tours to the She Who Watches petroglyphs on the Columbia Gorge, as well as to the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in central Oregon’s High Desert country. He conducts workshops, traditional storytelling performances, dramatic monologues, and lectures on issues such as cultural understanding and awareness, drug and alcohol abuse, and mental health. Edmo is a published short story writer, poet, and playwright and serves as a consultant to the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian.

Current exhibitions on view during spring break include OHS’s permanent exhibitions Experience Oregon and History Hub as well as Our Unfinished Past: The Oregon Historical Society at 125. For 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has preserved Oregon’s history through its collections, library, educational programs, exhibitions, and scholarship. Our Unfinished Past, on view through December 17, explores the people, events, and stories that have shaped the institution, reflecting on OHS’s complex history and its mission to be the collective memory of Oregon.

The Oregon Historical Society is located in downtown Portland, Oregon, at 1200 SW Park Avenue, on the traditional homelands of Chinookan-speaking peoples, such as the Multnomah, Cascade, Clackamas, and Clowwewalla, who made their homes along the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. The Tualatin Kalapuya’s ancestral homelands include present-day Washington and portions of West Portland. Today, Portland is home to Indigenous people from across the region and the United States.

Through a variety of practices, policies, and projects, the Oregon Historical Society works to elevate Native perspectives and knowledge, respect tribal proto­col, and demonstrate recognition of tribal sovereignty. OHS education staff are currently working on creating lesson plans, educational resources, and professional-development programs that connect local history and OHS resources to support the implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 13, now known as Tribal History/Shared History. 

About the Oregon Historical Society

For more than a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view. 

Portland, OR — The Oregon Historical Society has nominated Megan Kruer, a 7th/8th grade language and literature teacher at Seven Peaks School in Bend, Oregon, for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award for her work with students on Oregon History Day (OHD), an affiliate of the National History Day® (NHD) program. 

Each of the 58 NHD affiliates may nominate one middle school teacher for the Patricia Behring Award annually. Nominees for the $10,000 award demonstrate a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through the innovative use of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in the NHD contests. Each nominee receives $500 as a result of their nomination. 

The Behring Award is sponsored this year by Patricia Behring’s family in recognition of the pivotal role teachers play in the lives of students. The national winner will be selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians and announced at the National History Day contest awards ceremony in June.

“Teachers are among the greatest resources children have to develop the skills necessary to become critical thinkers,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “Each nominee for the Behring Award shows a dedication to teaching that goes beyond the classroom.”

Oregon History Day — facilitated by the Oregon Historical Society — is a student-directed, project-based, interdisciplinary learning program. Open to all middle and high school students, this culturally responsive program invites students to interpret a historical event that connects to the annual theme by creating a website, paper, performance, exhibit, or documentary. Over half a million students from every state in the nation participate in the National History Day program at the local, state, or national contest levels. 

“Because [Seven Peaks is] an IB school, students are quite skilled at pursuing inquiry independently. However, for Oregon History Day, the challenge is to help them take their inquiry to the next level. This is what I think the NHD theme helps students achieve. I spend significant time with students as a group and individually unpacking the nuances of the theme and investigating angles they might take on topics in light of the theme. Students have almost complete freedom when selecting their topics; this certainly helps them take ownership of their research,” said Kruer.

Kruer competed in National History Day as a middle school student in Ohio, when she interviewed her grandmother and great-grandmother for her projects on women’s roles in World War II and the polio vaccine. As a teacher today, Kruer uses this adaptable program to implement Oregon’s state standards and student learning goals. Working with her partner teacher, Patrick O’Brien, Kruer continuously improves her lesson plans from previous years to better support her students as they move through the program.

“I actually redesigned my entire first unit to better prepare students to use primary sources,” Kruer continues. “The summative project for that unit is called ‘Documenting Your Life,’ and students are asked to mine their personal archives to find primary sources from their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. They then compile these ‘artifacts’ or primary sources into a project (using the same format options as NHD). This project helps students appreciate how a story can emerge through a deep engagement with an archive (personal in this case) while developing the skills they need to compete in the Oregon History Day contest!”

Students share their research in two ways at Seven Peaks School. First, the young historians present their projects to the entire Pre-K to 8th grade student body during a special event during school hours. Later, Kruer and the Seven Peaks staff host a community “Celebration of History” night where students share their projects with local judges. This gives students a chance to present their work and answer questions about their research process and refine their projects before competing at the Oregon History Day contest. 

The annual theme for the 2023 National History Day contest is Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas. The 2023 Oregon History Day contest will take place on Saturday, April 29 from 8am to 5:30pm in Salem, Oregon, at Willamette University. The National History Day contest is scheduled to take place in mid-June at the University of Maryland, College Park.

To learn more about how to get involved with Oregon History Day, contact OHD coordinator Katie Pearson at Katie.Pearson@ohs.org.

About the Oregon Historical Society

For more than a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view. 

Butterfly gowns worn by the Supremes. Photo by Rebecca Sapp, GRAMMY Museum.

Download images for press at bit.ly/motownpresskit.

Portland, OR — There “ain’t no mountain high enough” that should keep you from visiting Motown: The Sound of Young America before it closes on March 26! Curated by the GRAMMY Museum, this fun and dynamic exhibition shares the story of the famed record company and the artists who collectively changed the musical direction of the nation. An interactive experience where visitors can dance with the Temptations and sing with the Supremes, this traveling exhibition has been popular with locals and tourists alike. 


The 1960s was one of the most musically diverse decades in American history. While The Beatles and Bob Dylan topped the charts, a unique sound out of Detroit also shaped the musical landscape. It originated on the city’s streets and in its housing projects, reflecting seismic shifts in not just pop music, but in racial attitudes and youth culture. 

Berry Gordy, Jr., was the visionary behind both the music and the Black-owned record company he named Motown. A former prizefighter and songwriter, he believed that talent could be found on nearly every Detroit streetcorner. This blend of gospel, blues, and pop quickly became “The Sound of Young America,” crashing the American pop charts and challenging the British Invasion. From Motown came the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, and others. 

Motown: The Sound of Young America features stage outfits from many of the label’s top performers, interviews with Motown legends, and opportunities for visitors to get deep inside the creative process perfected at Motown. 

“One of my favorite parts of the exhibition is a jukebox where visitors can play their favorite Motown hits in the gallery,” said OHS Boyle Family Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk. “While this exhibition provides important context on a pivotal period in American pop culture history, it also engages visitors in fun interactive experiences that will provide a sense of nostalgia for many.”

Some of the iconic pieces on display in the exhibition include:

• The iconic “Butterfly” gowns worn by the Supremes
• A harmonica and keyboard played by Stevie Wonder
• Ray Parker, Jr.’s, Gretsch guitar
• A full set of Jackson 5 outfits
• Jackets worn by Boyz II Men 
• An outfit worn by a member of the Temptations

The Oregon Historical Society’s museum is open seven days a week, Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm and Sunday 12pm–5pm. Admission is $10, with discounts for students, seniors, teachers, and youth. Admission is free every day for OHS members and Multnomah County residents. Learn more and plan your visit at ohs.org/motown.

About the Oregon Historical Society

For more than a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view. 

Tillamook_County_Creamery_Association.jpg

Portland, OR — The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is delighted to announce the 2023 Oregon History Maker honorees. First celebrated in 2009, the annual Oregon History Makers Awards & Dinner recognizes contemporary individuals and organizations that are positively shaping the history, culture, and landscape of Oregon. The event also supports the Oregon Historical Society’s important work to collect, preserve, and interpret Oregon’s past.

The 2023 Oregon History Makers are: 

Sarah Mensah 
Transformative Sports Industry Executive

A graduate of Aloha High School and the University of Oregon, Sarah Mensah has forged a pathbreaking career in both the professional sports and athletic apparel industries. She spent almost two decades with the Portland Trail Blazers, eventually becoming one of the highest-ranking woman executives in professional sports. In 2013, Mensah joined Nike — Jordan Brand. Today, she serves as Vice President/General Manager, North America, at Nike, the first Black woman to hold that position, and excels at developing, empowering, and guiding culturally diverse cross-functional teams through periods of change and growth. 

Brian B. Obie 
Visionary Business and Civic Leader

Brian Obie’s revolutionizing leadership has left an indelible mark on Eugene, Oregon, creating upscale environments that celebrate local art, food, and businesses. As president and principal owner of Obie Companies, Inc., his catalog of commercial and development accomplishments includes two nationally-acclaimed hotels in Eugene — the luxurious Inn at the 5th and the art-centric Hotel Gordon, named after his father — and a third, The Inn at 500 Capitol, located in Boise, Idaho. Obie is also responsible for the development of the 5th Street Public Market, and the new, beautifully designed Market Alley in Eugene. As a community volunteer, Obie has served on the Eugene City Council, as Mayor of Eugene, and as president of the University of Oregon Foundation.

Liz Shuler
Pathbreaking Union President

A native of Milwaukie, Oregon, Liz Shuler made history in 2021 when she was elected as the first woman president of the AFL-CIO, a federation of 56 unions with 12.5 million members. The daughter of parents who both worked for Portland General Electric, Shuler began her career working for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Oregon (IBEW) before becoming chief of staff for the IBEW president. A visionary leader and longtime trade unionist, Shuler believes the labor movement is the single most powerful vehicle for progress and that unions are a central force in leading lasting societal transformations.  

Tillamook County Creamery Association
Beloved Oregon Brand

Founded in 1909 as a farmer-owned cooperative, Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) prides itself on its commitment to bringing to market the best-tasting, highest-quality dairy products made in the most natural way possible. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves real food that makes them feel good every day, Tillamook® produces internationally recognized, award-winning cheese as well as exceptional dairy products including ice cream, butter, and yogurt. Today, Tillamook® is in one in four households in the United States and recently exceeded $1 billion in retail sales. TCCA operates production facilities in both Tillamook and Boardman, Oregon, and employs more than 900 people throughout the state. As a Certified B Corporation®, TCCA upholds a commitment to being good stewards of cows, farms, communities, and the environment.

“For over a decade, the Oregon Historical Society has celebrated Oregon’s living leaders, highlighting individuals and businesses who work tirelessly to make our state, and our world, a better place,” said OHS Boyle Family Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk. “This year’s honorees all exemplify the best of what our state has to offer, and the OHS Board of Trustees will be delighted to present Sarah Mensah, Brian Obie, Liz Shuler, and Tillamook County Creamery Association with the Oregon History Makers Award this year.”

The Oregon Historical Society will celebrate the 2023 Oregon History Makers Awards & Dinner on Sunday, October 1, 2023, at the Portland Art Museum. Table sponsorships and individual tickets are available. To join Lead Sponsor Jordan Schnitzer and the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation in supporting this event, please visit ohs.org/historymakers or contact Ally Huffman at 503.306.5226 or ally.huffman@ohs.org. 
 

About the Oregon Historical Society

For more than a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.