Woape’ vision of the future came through a spiritual community known as Redwind which follows an earth based way of life focused on health of individuals, communities, and the earth. Founded in 1997 from the teachings of Frank Fools Crow, the Redwind Community listened to his words, “Survival of the world depends on our sharing what we have, and working together.”

Although the Redwind Community humbly and quietly practiced a spiritual tradition, they chose to become involved in the many issues facing the people of the earth. In 1999 the community took a nonprofit organization status to build stronger alliances with others and develop greater ways of helping. This decision continued to focus the Redwind Community in providing teachings for healthy ecology, social service and criminal justice system improvements, environmental awareness and protection, individual psychosocial development, conscious decision making, and spiritual awareness. A youth focus was particularly important as the Teachings encourage helping the next generation to become good people.

In 2001, Redwind began partnering with other non-profit organizations serving high risk youth to ask about programming for their clients. The Council of Redwind, in conjunction with key community members, began to develop teachings, ceremonies, and programs for youth. Testimony of the community spirit in supporting Redwind comes in the countless volunteer hours offered these ventures. As a volunteer lead and operated organization with no paid employees, Redwind logged thousands of hours of service to youth.

In 2008 The Redwind Community and Board of Directors chose to support expanding Redwind into Woape. This expansion supported the Redwind Community to remain as a community of service living in the Teachings of Grandfather Fools Crow while developing a professional Board of Directors, hiring an Executive Director, and expanding services to youth and our local communities.

Through a grant awarded by the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, Woape is currently working in collaboration with several Clackamas County government and nonprofit agencies to research and develop a comprehensive service map to improve access and services for the youth and families of Clackamas County. Working with agency leadership and youth in the task of youth services mapping, youth development principles are being implemented to develop strong collaboration.

Clackamas County Small Grants Program awarded Woape funds for a project with youth adjudicated in the Oregon Youth Authority system. Measurable outcomes include increase in work readiness assessment indicators, demonstration of transferable job skills, successful completion of resume, interview and cover letter development, and identification and demonstration of conflict resolution methods. As the youth learn the skills, they also provide community service work in giving back to the community. Woape developed this program and in collaboration with educational, vocational, and residential facilities serving these youth. The Woape philosophy and Teachings offer valuable skills training experiences.

In December of 2009 New Avenues for Youth and Outside In, organizations working with homeless youth in downtown Portland, organized Teaching sessions with youth in the city and an Inipi Ceremony on the Woape land. The Teachings and Ceremony was well attended with active engagement and participation. Following the Ceremony a homeless youth shared, “I feel like I got back to who I am and am stronger in being able to accomplish what I want. Thanks for that.”

During the summer of 2009, Woape won a $30,000 ARRAS Youth Award in partnership with several Clackamas County organizations to increase work skills and work readiness skills for 17 youth. The youth were hired on two work crews. 13 youth were adjudicated and in high school; 3 youth were not adjudicated and in high school. 1 youth had graduated from high school and was not adjudicated. The program was highly successful in the outcomes. A. In the evaluating Work Skills for the work crew Landscaping and Construction positions, 30 points were available covering a variety of job specific skills. The average midterm evaluation score for the 17 youth was 16.7 points (55% of total) and the average final evaluation was 23.3 points (78% of total). The 17 youth demonstrated an increase in work skills by 23%. The adjudicated youth demonstrated higher skills at the onset (67%) than the youth whom were not adjudicated (60%), however the youth whom were not adjudicated made greater improvements (88%), a difference of 28%. Those adjudicated youth made an 8% increase in work skills. The increase for both sets of youth was significant to the midterm score. B. In Work Readiness Skills the youth averaged 16 points out of a 25 point scale at entry into the program. At the completion of the program the youth averaged 20.4 points for an average of 81% of total and an increase in 18%. The adjudicated youth demonstrated 65% of the total possible points in work readiness. The youth that were not adjudicated demonstrated slightly less as in 62% of the total possible points. The youth whom were not adjudicated made greater improvements (90%), a difference of 28%. The adjudicated youth made a 14% increase in work readiness skills with a total of 79%. All youth demonstrated a very significant increase in work readiness skills. C-Tec Youth Services identified the Woape ARRAS Summer Work Program as “a gold standard in how to design a youth crew program that engaged both adjudicated and non-adjudicated youth in their own learning.”

Outside In’s Queer Zone program supports sexual minority youth in developing safety to address complex issues of health, homelessness, family struggles, and understanding sexual and gender identity. In 2008 Woape began to support this program by bringing these homeless youth from the city streets into the Wilderness for storytelling and a meal n the “Ancestor Lodge”, a cob meeting space. The youth report very positive experiences.

Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs and Santiam Crossing Residential School has partnered with Woape to provide in-depth treatment services. Beginning partnerships in 2002 and continuing regular gatherings, the Woape Model has provided active involvement in Service Learning Projects, supportive therapy, and ceremony. A key element of Woape’s partnership with Catherine Freer and Santiam Crossing has been assisting youth in discovering important aspects of relationships and community while developing and maintaining authentic expression of individuality. A Santiam Therapist writes, “Our students have been coming to the land to participate in Woape Activities for several years. There is consistent agreement among the students that their weekends spent at Woape are their favorites. The benefit felt by the students is multifaceted and unique for each individual. The students often work harder when they’re on this property then when they are within their own community and take great pride in all they accomplish.

The Woape staff and volunteers s create a safe and supportive space for students to be vulnerable and explore core issues. Throughout their time on the land, the students are continually exposed to different ideas about spirituality. In particular, they are taught about respect for themselves, for others, for the land and for all things that inhabit it.

This program has effectively helped children, adolescents, and their families alter problem behavior around inappropriate sexual behavior and offense. The Counterpoint Youth and staff came to Redwind for two years (2001 – 2003) two times a month to assist with Community Service, participate in Ceremonies, and learn through the Teachings. The program expressed incredible success and positive response from their youth. A staff person shared, “The youth’s success in becoming more honest has been very noticeable since they have been receiving the teachings at Redwind.” A Native American youth wrote, “I would like to thank you for inviting us up for the Ceremonies. After we came back a lot of the guys were saying they wanted to back soon and I want to come back myself because I can go back to participating in my cultural beliefs. I am really glad there are people like you that do these things for other people. I would like to come back anytime because I know what I want and where I want to go and that the Ceremony helps me keep my mind on it. Thanks.”

Janus Youth programs worked closely with Redwind with two of its community based residential treatment facilities from January of 2001 – March of 2003. Clackamas House and Taylor House provides alternative to more institutional settings for emotionally disturbed and abused boys and girls at high risk for placement in a more restrictive environment. Redwind actively engaged the youth through the Teachings and youth development principals in learning how to empower themselves in their current living situation. One youth expressed to Redwind and Janus Youth staff, “I have been looking for this all my life. It helps me to understand my mother and the way she thinks. I have never been able to understand it. It is the first time anyone has encouraged me to be myself.”

The DePaul Program brought young men and women to Redwind two to four times a month beginning in June of 2000 for over three years thru 2004. The youth participated in teachings on how to remain clean and sober through development of healthy coping strategies and living skills. Red Wind’s central focus on honesty and integrity was identified as a unique and special gift that Redwind offered to the treatment Center.

Save Our Youth Conflict Resolution Program, SOY, is a family-oriented, cooperative program developed by the Department of Juvenile and Adult Community Justice, Oregon Peace Institute, Emanuel Hospital, Portland Public Schools, and Portland State University to address the violence and weapons. SOY teaches skills necessary to deal with conflict in constructive ways including responding to conflict learned through media, racism, as well as family practices which support violent behavior. Early in 2000 and thru 2003, SOY has utilized Woape to augment their program on nonviolence through participation in Redwind Ceremonies and experiencing the natural environment through storytelling. A young man from the SOY program wrote, “Nice place. Good people. Excellent! The best! That was an amazing experience. I feel great.” Program staff described the reason SOY has partnered with Woape is, “It is truly a place that our Youth can be accepted and learn more of their ancestral roots by learning about other cultures. Leaving the city and doing the gatherings in the woods creates a learning environment that our youth don’t get.”

The Youth and Family Skill Development Program has utilized Redwind for focused intervention with the Young Men’s Discovery Program and the Females Reaching Excellence by Empowerment (FREE) Group. These groups regularly traveled to the land to participate in Teachings and Ceremonies. The staff identified the following outcomes of the two year program with Redwind as (1) youth taking more responsibility for behavior; (2) youth identifying the importance of telling the truth, and (3) youth identifying specific supports for change. On young man shared following a Ceremony, “It helps you to get into yourself. It was a trip. I liked it. I think I know more about myself that I didn’t know before.”