Native Portland Series, 8: The Park Blocks

Find all Native Tour stops on the tour map.

NASCC at PSU

One of the shining stars of the Native Portland tour is the Native American Student & Community Center at Portland State University.  Located at the top of the Park blocks on the PSU campus, it's one of the few stops on the tour that is designed for and by Native people and supports their community. Opened in 2003, the center's site says:   "The mission of the NASCC is to provide a "cultural home" where Native American, Alaskan Native and Pacific Islander students connect to other students, faculty, staff and community members in an inclusive and supportive environment."  Classes in Native American studies are held here, as well as cultural events.

The center is tucked on a little triangle of land at the top of busy Broadway Street, and is like an oasis in the city.  The building's exterior design is distinctively Native, and two rooftop sculptures and the giant 50-foot pole are by Native artist Lillian Pitt.  Images from Pacific Northwest Native culture are frosted on to the windows, and the interior is also full of Native art.  A beautiful bronze sculpture of Chief Joseph, by Native American bronze artist Doug Hyde, is in the courtyard.

    

   

 

Photo: PSU

Oregon Historical Society

A few blocks north on the Park blocks are important museums to know about, both resources for the history and culture of Native people from Oregon.  The first, the Oregon Historical Center, has exhibits and a library, especially rich with documents and photographs of Native American life.  The Society also has online exhibits; currently there is one on regional Native American basketry. Also be sure to check out its historical documents, either at the library or online.  If you simply type "Native American" in the search engine, you fill find fascinating correspondence and legal documents, as well as photos, that tell of the life of the first peoples and their contact with European settlers.

Portland Art Museum

Portland's main art museum is within steps of the Historical museum and has an extensive collection of Native American art, having worked closely with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and other agencies.  If it's not currently on public exhibit, you can find its collection of some 1,800 works of Native art online.  Note you can click the "Native American" tab, or you can narrow your search by category, such as "Plains," or "Northwest Coast."

Photo: Tourism Media