September 17, 2026

Past and Future Cultural Lifeways of Western Oregon Tribes

The Willamette Valley is rich with history that has been largely unrecorded—its riverbanks, forests, and mountains have been home to the tribes of Kalapuya, Chinook, Molalla, and more for thousands of years. Please join us for a presentation by OSU Professor and Indigenous scholar David Lewis, who will highlight Native perspectives on the history of the region and take us through a journey from then to now. Dr. Lewis is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and author of the book Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley.

7:00 p.m., Beaverton City Library, Beaverton

September 19, 2026

Civicus: What Does It Mean to Be a Citizen?

In the United States, most people would say they believe in democracy. But do we all understand the word in the same way? Where does the concept of democracy come from, and what makes “the rule of the people” work? This conversation will dig into the history, philosophy, and practical workings of democracy. We’ll look at the words of important political thinkers from the past, the US Constitution, and research on challenges to democracy in the present day. We’ll leave with a better sense of what we mean when we say democracy and how to participate in the democratic process locally and nationally.

11:00 a.m., Grants Pass Library, Grants Pass

September 22, 2026

Consider This with Stephanie Land

Join us for a conversation about trust, work, and poverty with Stephanie Land, author of the books Maid and Class. In her two best-selling memoirs, Land writes about cleaning houses and struggling to get by as a single mom in the Northwest. During this time she found herself both trusted and distrusted: Her clients entrusted her with the intimate details of their lives, but she was forced to demonstrate over and over again that she was eligible for the meager public assistance she received.

This event kicks off our 2025–26 Consider This series, What Do We Trust?

Tickets are $15 and are available through the venue website. 

7:00 p.m., Alberta Rose Theatre, Portland

September 23, 2026

To What Do We Pledge?

While the opening of the Declaration of Independence gets the fanfare and the fireworks—“When in the course of human events” and all that—the closing clause contains a quiet promise: “We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” When we talk about the founding, we often think of it as a severing from a distant power and a proclamation of individual rights. And yet, buried in that big individualistic origin story, there is a pledge of support, solidarity, and mutual aid. Today, as we witness political violence, hostility, and polarization, this conversation invites us to explore what it means for us to be bound to one another and to ask ourselves: Is there any idea, any value, any dream for the future that we care about enough to tie ourselves to one another to protect or pursue it? What would it mean to “mutually pledge” ourselves to one another today? What would it look like? Feel like? Is it even possible?

Facilitator Wendy Willis is the founding director of Oregon's Kitchen Table, a statewide community engagement program housed at Portland State University. She is also a poet, an essayist, a stitcher, and a self-proclaimed democracy geek. Wendy was raised in Springfield, but now lives with her family in Portland.

6:00 p.m., Eugene Public Library, Eugene

September 25, 2026

Tough Shit with Oregon Humanities

Tough Shit is an onstage conversation about the most challenging questions Portlanders are facing. We’ll bring together four people with very different experiences of and perspectives on the city to talk through some shit with help from the audience and a moderator. The questions will be tough, and this shit will not be resolved in one night; We expect to leave with more questions than answers, plus some renewed hope for the future. And if not, well….

This event is presented in partnership with the Tomorrow Theater. Tickets are available at tomorrowtheater.org.

7:00 p.m., Tomorrow Theater, Portland

September 29, 2026

Wilderness Treasures with William L.. Sullivan

William Sullivan is the author of many books and articles about Oregon. In this talk, moderated by John Witte, he will discuss the many wilderness treasures of the Upper McKenzie region in Oregon.

This event is supported by a Mini Grant for Libraries from Oregon Humanities.

2:00 p.m., O'Brien Memorial Library, Blue River

September 29, 2026

Voices of Gresham Season 2 Launch Party

Gresham Historical Society presents a launch party for season 2 of its original podcast, Voices of Gresham. This party will include a short talk by host Stephanie Vallance followed by a presentation of the first episode and a Q&A. Enjoy snacks and drinks while you listen.

Voices of Gresham is a lively, one-of-a-kind podcast based on oral history recollections of Gresham residents past and present. Using interviews conducted from the 1980s to the present day, hosts Stephanie Vallance and Melissa Bevency explore themes from local history including the main arc, "Coming to Gresham," and shorter arcs exploring the history of libraries and live music.

This podcast will be available for free on all major platforms starting September 30. Season 2 will consist of ten episodes, with new episodes released weekly.

This event and the podcast are supported by a Public Programs Grant from Oregon Humanities.

5:00 p.m., Gresham Historical Society, Gresham

October 4, 2026

To What Do We Pledge?

While the opening of the Declaration of Independence gets the fanfare and the fireworks—“When in the course of human events” and all that—the closing clause contains a quiet promise: “We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” When we talk about the founding, we often think of it as a severing from a distant power and a proclamation of individual rights. And yet, buried in that big individualistic origin story, there is a pledge of support, solidarity, and mutual aid. Today, as we witness political violence, hostility, and polarization, this conversation invites us to explore what it means for us to be bound to one another and to ask ourselves: Is there any idea, any value, any dream for the future that we care about enough to tie ourselves to one another to protect or pursue it? What would it mean to “mutually pledge” ourselves to one another today? What would it look like? Feel like? Is it even possible?

Facilitator Wendy Willis is the founding director of Oregon's Kitchen Table, a statewide community engagement program housed at Portland State University. She is also a poet, an essayist, a stitcher, and a self-proclaimed democracy geek. Wendy was raised in Springfield, but now lives with her family in Portland.

11:30 a.m., Oregon Jewish Museum & Center for Holocaust Education, Portland

October 7, 2026

Otherness as a Gateway to Empowerment and Empathy

Otherness is the state of being different from the members of a group. Whether we are talking about us mammals, us Oregonians, or us bird-watchers, anyone who is not part of us is part of the other. How does otherness shape our sense of identity and our perception of others? In this conversation, we will reflect on our personal experiences of belonging to uncover the universality of otherness and examine how we can use empathy to bridge the divides in isolated communities and foster the acceptance of diverse voices. This exploration of otherness aims to cultivate empathy for both ourselves and others, leading to a more inclusive understanding of our identities and those around us as well as exploring otherness as a form of strength and our own uniqueness.

6:00 p.m., Cedar Mill Community Library, Portland

October 8, 2026

Reflective Conversation Training (in-person)

During this in-person facilitation training, participants will:

• learn about facilitation and reflective conversation
• have an opportunity to practice new skills and techniques
• reflect on and share your own beliefs and assumptions and listen to beliefs, backgrounds, and experiences different than your own
• design and participate in reflective conversations and debriefs that analyze facilitation tools and choices.

This training will take place in the Oregon Humanities office in Portland (610 SW Alder St., Suite 1111) over the following days:

• Day 1: Thursday, October 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Day 2: Friday, October 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

To register for the October in-person training, click here.

In-person trainings are limited to the first twelve to sixteen people to sign up. Over the course of two days, we’ll spend our time together talking in large and small groups, in small to mid-sized rooms. We’ll provide coffee and tea and a light lunch on both days.

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Oregon Humanities, Portland