We learn and teach the Mid-Columbia River Ichishkín Language and Customs to our youth and families to preserve and share a sense of place, purpose, and perspective.
We accomplish this through year-round programming with youth and elders together sharing knowledge and experiences across generations to provide and connect communities.
When we started learning years ago, there must have been was 163 Ichishkín speakers.
After the pandemic, there are is now about 55.
We work with several (12) elder speakers (ages 70+) throughout the Northwest who speak English as their 2nd language who clarify and confirm much of our work and documentation.
We recruit youth and adults alike to journey with us for 4 weeks of language & cultural learning on the annual Canoe Journey (‘24 Youth Paddle to Puyallup).
After 5 successful Canoe Journeys, the ‘family’ ventured into language revitalization having revived several songs, dances and stories in partnership with several culture keepers of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
In 2019, the CRÍID Foundation was formed to help clarify, verify, preserve, and revitalize Pacific Northwest Ichishkín dialects of the Columbia Plateau.
Today, the CRÍID Foundation has built the largest Ichishkín Language database for analyzing language intricacies and complexities.
“We don’t ask to follow the teachings and practices of our elders, we just do it.”
Support our mission to learn, share, and revitalize Columbia River Ichishkín Language Arts & Culture.
The CRÍID Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Native-Led Non-Profit registered in the State of Oregon
EIN: 84-2556862
Donations on this website are made through Donorbox.
Please contact us with any questions: info@criid.org.