Who We Are

The Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland (NPWH) is a place-based nonprofit led by tribal and non-tribal people with a common commitment to upholding, perpetuating and celebrating the people and practices native to wal’áwa (Wallowa), our shared home.

Our Mission

Our mission is to deepen the connection between the wal’áwa country and all those who care about it. We inspire a way of working together as wé·tesne qicxnew̓é·t (caretakers of the earth) to rekindle relationships and welcome people home.

Our Vision

We envision kinship among land, water and beings of wal’áwa restored, celebrated and lit up. We envision wé·tesne (the land) and people together maintainin titoqanwí·tki· (native culture) in the way titlúme (ancestors) had intended.

Our Work

Since their forced removal in 1877, the first people of this valley (Wallowa Band Nez Perce) have been scattered across the Northwest, Canada and Oklahoma. Today, many descendants live on reservations including the Colville, Umatilla and Nez Perce Reservation. Due to an overwhelming number of social, logistical and financial barriers, few have returned.

In Nez Perce culture loss of a homeland is loss of self, and descendants continue to be affected by the traumas of genocide and exile. For over thirty years, NPWH has worked to provide compelling reasons for the indigenous people of this valley to come back to their ancestral homeland to remember and reconnect with the land, language, people and culture.

Our Goals

1) Caretake the Earth—We help steward land and water across Wallowa County and create a physical place to preserve and encourage Native wildlife, vegetation and culture.

2) Kinship—We help promote Nez Perce presence, relationship and belonging across Wallowa country. Our inclusive programs, events and cultural education initiatives for the public are designed with the aim of paving the way for the indigenous people of this valley to one day reside, raise families, work and practice their culture here.

3) Always—In collaboration with other individuals and organizations who care about this place, we help plan for perpetuity and the ongoing pursuit of our mission.