Columbia River Institute for Indigenous Development
Honoring Language. Preserving Culture. Strengthening Community.
CRÍID Foundation is a Native-led nonprofit dedicated to preserving and revitalizing the Ichishkín language and cultural traditions of the Columbia Plateau. We bring elders, youth, and families together to share knowledge, strengthen identity, and ensure our language and lifeways thrive for generations to come.
When we began this work, there were an estimated 163 Ichishkín speakers. After the 2020 pandemic, only about 55 remain.
Today, we work alongside 12 elder speakers across the Northwest—most of whom learned English as a second language—to guide, clarify, and confirm our documentation. Their knowledge ensures the language is passed down with accuracy and care.
We recruit youth and adults to participate in our annual 4-week immersion program, which combines language learning with cultural experiences like the Canoe Journey (2024 Youth Paddle to Puyallup). Through this program, new generations gain the skills and confidence to carry Ichishkín forward.
After five successful Canoe Journeys, our community began revitalizing songs, dances, and stories in partnership with culture keepers from the Warm Springs Reservation.
In 2019, CRÍID Foundation was formed to clarify, preserve, and revitalize Pacific Northwest Ichishkín dialects. Today, we steward the largest Ichishkín language database for analyzing intricacies and complexities.
We don't ask to follow the teachings and practices of our elders, we just do it.
— Jefferson Greene, Táxshpash, Wasq'ú, Paiute, Nimiipuu, ku Purépecha
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
Please contact us with any questions: info@criid.org.