Events & Opportunities
March 7, 2026
Screening: El Camino de los Pueblos Maya a Oregon / The Journey of Mayan Communities in Oregon
Join filmmakers Caty Lucas and filmmakers Elizabeth Lucas-Lucas for a screening of their new documentary "El Camino de los Pueblos Maya a Oregon," followed by a Q&A.
Over the past fifty years, hundreds of thousands of people of Maya descent have come to the United States, driven by genocide and economic deprivation. Some of them now live in Oregon. The size of the Maya population is hard to estimate, because it is so diverse: the Maya peoples comprise communities across Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras, who speak dozens of distinct languages. In this video, by Oregon Humanities Community Storytelling Fellow Caty Lucas, several Mayan Oregonians share their stories and why they came to the US.
3:30 p.m., Clinton Street Theater, Portland
March 18, 2026
Revolutionary Myanmar: Women on the Front Lines
Authors Edith Mirante and Jenny Hedström will discuss their latest books, including their first-hand experiences in Myanmar's war zones and a focus on the roles of women in the current struggle against a brutal military dictatorship.
This event is presented in partnership with PAEMA and World Oregon.
6:00 to 7:00 p.m., Broadway Books, Portland
April 7, 2026
Consider This: What Democracy Needs with Hélène Landemore
A conversation with political theorist Hélène Landemore, author of Politics Without Politicians, on what democracy must become to meet the complexity, speed, and scale of today’s world. This conversation will take place in person at the Alberta Rose Theatre and be streamed online via YouTube.
7:00 p.m., Alberta Rose Theatre, Portland
April 24, 2026
Tough Shit with Oregon Humanities
Tough Shit is an onstage conversation about the most challenging questions Portlanders are facing. We’ll bring together three people with very different experiences of and perspectives on the city to talk through some shit with help from the audience and a moderator.
7:00 p.m., Tomorrow Theater, Portland
May 6, 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.
6:00 p.m., Cedar Mill Community Library, Portland
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
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