Native American Heritage Month

Information
Portraits of indigenous people with text that reads: We Are The Land
Celebrating Native American Heritage all month long in November

"We Are The Land" Public Art Installation

In November 2022, the City of Portland Tribal Relations team partnered with INDÍGENA an Indigenous storytelling collective  in bringing Indigenous portraits to public spaces in Portland. In collaboration with the City Arts Program, Regional Arts and Culture Council, Multnomah County and Metro, the Tribal Relations Program developed a project that will showcase portraits of local community members in the central city to create visibility for Native American people and begin a long overdue conversation.

The portraits were affixed to the exterior of buildings for the duration of Native American Heritage Month. These portraits focused on connecting Portlanders to the spirit of local Native tribes and showcasing the vibrancy and diversity of the urban Native community. From moving portraits and diverse expressions, the project emphasized visibility and focus on the joy that results from Native people taking up space. It also allowed for the City of Portland and project partners to move actionable efforts to further integrate, protect and uphold the sacrality of Indigeneity. Additional project sponsors included NW Natural and the City’s Diverse and Empowered Employees of Portland. 

Installations were located throughout the City of Portland and installed between 11/8/22 and 11/16/22.

  • RACC (411 NW Park Ave) - TBA
  • Northeast Health Center (5329 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd) - 11/9/22
  • OMSI (1945 SE Water Ave) - 11/9/22
  • Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (800 SE 10th Ave) - 11/16/22
  • Multnomah County Elections Division (1040 SE Morrison St) - 11/16/22
  • Multnomah County Courthouse (1200 SW 1st Ave) - 11/16/22

Please see the map below for location details. 

Remote Media URL

Feel free to reach out to tribal.relations@portlandoregon.gov with any questions.