June 15, 2026

Who Are “We the People?”

Our stories about who we are—as a nation or as a community—often don’t match the reality of who is actually part of our community. When the Declaration of Independence was written, people living in what would become the United States didn’t all have the same rights. What does that mean for us 250 years later? This conversation is a chance to reflect on what the Declaration of Independence means today, what it means to be American, and what it takes to work together for the benefit of all.

Facilitator Eliot Feenstra is a community organizer, artist, gardener and facilitator. He currently works with Oregon's Kitchen Table, a statewide community engagement program that creates ways for Oregonians to participate in public decision-making. Prior to joining OKT, he worked on rural queer community organizing in southern Oregon, collaborative performance projects, and connecting people with place. He has worked with Oregon Humanities since 2015, leading trainings, facilitating conversations about power and place, and even once appearing on The Detour. After living in Josephine County for many years, he now lives in Portland and continues to work in solidarity with and advocate for rural communities.

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

June 18, 2026

Consider This with Naomi Shihab Nye watch party: Clatskanie

Join Clatskanie Library District for a live watch party of our Consider This with Naomi Shihab Nye.

7:00 p.m., Clatskanie Library District, Clatskanie

June 18, 2026

Consider This with Naomi Shihab Nye

A conversation with the extraordinary poet and novelist Naomi Shihab Nye about nations and communities. What makes this nation, the United States, what it is? How do nations change over time, and what moves those changes? How do communities become what we hope them to be? How should we strive to live together in community?

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

June 25, 2026

What Does It Mean to Be American?

This conversation will explore when and how we define ourselves as an “American.” Does knowing the Constitution make us American? Does living on land controlled by the United States of America make us American? Through conversation and nonverbal exploration, we will share what “American” means to us individually and within the communities we belong to or came from, and what perspectives shaped our understanding of American identity and who is included in “We the People.”

6:00 p.m., Parkdale Library, Parkdale

June 27, 2026

What Does It Mean to Be American?

This conversation will explore when and how we define ourselves as an “American.” Does knowing the Constitution make us American? Does living on land controlled by the United States of America make us American? Through conversation and nonverbal exploration, we will share what “American” means to us individually and within the communities we belong to or came from, and what perspectives shaped our understanding of American identity and who is included in “We the People.”

2:00 p.m., Jacksonville Branch Library, Jacksonville

July 18, 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.

3:00 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library, Mt. Angel

July 18, 2026

Democracy in Motion

The constitution grants congress the power to establish post roads and regulate interstate commerce. For 250 years, political decisions rooted in these powers have shaped how we travel from place to place and even who can travel from place to place. For some, transportation is a mundane issue: the vehicles and routes that are needed to get where they need to go are available and convenient, even if they might not work perfectly sometimes. For others, getting around can be difficult and exhausting, or even impossible. Some find joy in getting around and others face barriers. How does transportation reflect our democratic values? Does how we get around foster democracy? If not, could it be made so?

11:30 a.m., Grants Pass Library, Grants Pass

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

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

October 8, 2026

What Does It Mean to Be American?

This conversation will explore when and how we define ourselves as an “American.” Does knowing the Constitution make us American? Does living on land controlled by the United States of America make us American? Through conversation and nonverbal exploration, we will share what “American” means to us individually and within the communities we belong to or came from, and what perspectives shaped our understanding of American identity and who is included in “We the People.”

Facilitator Chisao Hata is a performing artist, educator, and arts integration specialist. She has been called a “community weaver” through facilitation, community engagement and creating artistic collaborations. She has been a protector of imagination and personal discovery and a champion for individual expression. Creating engaged learning is her life’s work. She has had the honor of serving hundreds of Portland’s children, youth, and adults across many communities. Chisao believes we are all inextricably linked, and the power of gathering is a conduit to build and heal our understandings between our communities.

6:30 p.m., Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association Grand Hall, Portland