Gorge Owned receives Parks grant for history podcasts

Gorge Owned, in Hood River, received a grant for the development and marketing of two podcasts about Columbia River Gorge history.

Current “Hear in the Gorge” podcasts available through Gorge Owned include “Almost Home,” the experience of the region’s Japanese American residents during World War II, “Crag Rats,” the oldest mountain rescue team in the country, and “Tribal Village Life “at in-lieu sites along the Columbia River.

They highlight archival audio, as well as storytelling from locals and experts, creating nonfiction narratives about the Columbia River Gorge and its heritage.

Learn more at gorgeowned.org.

Other funded organizations include: Astoria Public Library to organize historic archives, Benton County Historical Society and Museum for conservation of historic objects to be displayed in the new museum in Corvallis; Four Rivers Cultural Center, in Ontario, for the restoration of the Harano photography neon sign; High Desert Museum, in Deschutes County, for improvements to the Frontier Days school program; Illinois Valley Community Development Organization, in Cave Junction, to create and perform an original production about food farm heritage; Linn County Historical Museum, in Brownsville, for improvements to the exhibit about the history of the local indigenous people; Oregon Historical Society, in Portland, to develop and implement the Indigenous Oregon History series for Tribes to share history and culture with broad public audiences; Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, in Portland, to evaluate and update a walking tour with added stories and sites exploring South Portland's historic, cultural, ethnic and racial dynamics; Oregon Nikkei Endowment, in Portland, to digitize, to translate and publish online two collections; FBI documents from the Koyama Family and 10 special issues of Oregon Nippo, a Japanese language newspaper; Umatilla County Historical Society, in Pendleton, to complete phase three of the “Umatilla Gold: The History of Wheat” in Umatilla County exhibit; University of Oregon, in Eugene, to provide training and equipment to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to digitize photographs, slides, and scrapbooks that will be annotated by community members and published to the tribes' online, digital collection.

This competitive grant program is for qualifying organizations, and is offered once per biennium.

It is a program of the Oregon Heritage Commission, comprised of nine people representing Oregon's heritage and geographical diversity who have been appointed by the Governor.

There are nine advisory representatives from state agencies and statewide organizations.

The mission of the Oregon Heritage Commission is to secure, sustain, and enhance Oregon's heritage by ensuring coordination of heritage initiatives by public and private organizations, advocacy on its behalf, education of the public about its extent and value, and promotion and celebration of its diversity.

The Commission is part of Oregon Heritage, a division of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

To learn more about the Oregon Heritage Grant or the Oregon Heritage Commission, visit www.oregonheritage.org or contact Kuri Gill at Kuri.gill@oregon.gov or 503-986-0685.