Leah Altman

Leah Altman, Oglala Lakota, is a Native American adoptee and was raised in the Portland area. She has written for local and national publications, including Portland Monthly, Oregon Humanities, Portland State University's Metroscape magazine, Parents.com and Indian Country Today. For over a decade, Leah has also worked for Native and BIPOC-led environmental and community organizations, including the NAYA Family Center, Verde, Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, and the Intertribal Agriculture Council.

Pieces by this contributor

Elder Profile: Ed Edmo

February 9, 2024

Traditional storyteller Ed Edmo, Shoshone-Bannock, carries on culture through story in poetry, in schools and at cultural sites like Celilo Falls.

Elder Profile: Patsy Whitefoot

January 11, 2024

Elder, educator and activist Patsy Whitefoot has a passion for arming the next generation with tools for change.

Elder Profile: Dr. Carma Corcoran

January 4, 2024

Our History Influences Our Future

Elder Profile: John Bravehawk

September 28, 2023

A Sundance chief and Portland-area nonprofit founder, 74-year-old John Bravehawk has mentored youth and advised Sundance leaders for decades.

Warm Springs Elder Linda Meanus: Storyteller, Dancer, Beadworker and Advocate

Author Linda Meanus shares the inspiration for her first book, ‘My Name is Lamoosh.'

Ancient Village Site is Reborn Again

A $3.7M grant to the Native American Youth and Family Center will replace baseball fields with food gardens and cultural sites.

Root Down: At Warm Springs, a New Generation Leads the Feast

As the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs holds traditional first foods feasts in its ceremonial longhouses for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began, tribal youth have stepped up to carry the knowledge of the many elders who passed during the pandemic.