The Team
Work on Upriver to Morning began in the spring of 2016. Many specialists have contributed their creativity and knowledge to the project.
Tish McFadden
Author of Upriver to Morning, Concept Design, Songwriter, Project Manager, and Educational Outreach
I live in Ashland, Oregon where I am a published author (Wilderness Press, AdventureKEEN, and Anthology Works), a published songwriter (Big Round Records and Rum Tum Music), and music educator. I serve on the Board of Directors of the Multicultural Association of Southern Oregon. With my degrees from the University of Utah, between 1976-1987 I worked as a U.S. Forest Service archaeologist and historian in four western states, including Oregon—the career that introduced me to day-sri Agnes Baker Pilgrim in the 1980s. Agnes and I reacquainted in March 2016 and met frequently thereafter. Upriver to Morning is a synthesis of my life work in cultural and environmental preservation, teaching, writing, and music.
Julie Norman
Outreach Consultant and Copy Editor
I worked for 25 years defending forests and rivers on public lands in the Siskiyous. After retiring, I founded the nonprofit Agnes Pilgrim Legacy Fund (agnesbakerpilgrim.org) to spread the word about Grandma Aggie’s cultural legacy and ongoing educational projects in Southwest Oregon. I support the Upriver to Morning Project with my skills in outreach, research, and proofreading.
Don Harriss
Sound Recording Engineer (audio books), Music Producer (songs), and Book Designer
I am a Music Producer (songs), Sound Recording Engineer (audio books), and Book Designer. I have produced, engineered, and mastered numerous projects for various artists in a variety of genres in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and at my Ashland, Oregon studio, Orbital Arts Media. I’ve released five CDs of original instrumental music, two of which reached the Billboard TopTen Charts.
Lisa Kramer
Educator, Consultant, and 4th Grade Pilot Project Leader
My passion is teaching children and inspiring within them a love for learning. As an educator for over eighteen years, I continually seek new ways to engage my students in the learning process. In the spring of 2022, Upriver to Morning flowed into my life and I instantly knew that this was what my fourth graders needed in order to connect with our local environment and the Indigenous Peoples of Southern Oregon. I beta-tested Tish’s curriculum in my classroom with great success. We hiked Upper Table Rock with Tish and sang Upriver to Morning songs with her on the summit! Grandma Taowhywee, Agnes Baker Pilgrim, was with us in spirit as Upriver to Morning “rippled” through our classroom just as she wanted. Students learned about reciprocity, love, helping one another, and so much more. This beautiful journey is not over for me. Among other things, I am helping to integrate Upriver to Morning in Youth Camps for the Table Rock Foundation.
Brenda Patton
Founder, President and Executive Director of Table Rock Foundation
I founded Table Rock Foundation with my good friend Phil Hart in 1996 with the intent to connect caring people around the globe with a focus on humanitarian, cultural and environmental projects. Believing that by teaching our future generations the philosophy of self-worth, as well as service above self, we could improve the quality of life for all. I am a “Rainbow Grandmother” helping to inspire all of us to see the positive change in the lives of the young people who have come to the Enchanted Forest.
Kris Kibbee
Educational Consultant, Common Core Specialist, Spanish Translator, Editor
As an educator with more than 25 years experience I see myriad applications for Upriver to Morning in the classroom, across content areas and grade levels. The story lends itself to thematic teaching combining science, social studies, language arts, drama, and music.
Jeffrey Max LaLande
Archaeologist and Historian
I am an archaeologist and historian who came to the Rogue River Valley in the late 1960s, liked it, and have stayed ever since. I was concurrently adjunct professor of history at Southern Oregon University and archaeologist for the US Forest Service for thirty years. I have three formally published books – The Jackson County Rebellion, Medford Corporation: History of an Oregon Logging and Lumber Company, and First Over the Siskiyous – as well as numerous articles on the history of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.
Stephanie Craig
Takelma 7th generation traditional basket weaver and Cultural Keeper
Takelma Rogue River, Santiam and Yoncalla Kalapuya, Cow Creek Umpqua, Clackamas Chinook, enrolled in the Grand Ronde Tribe.
I am a 7th generation traditional basket weaver. My family that was Takelma and Cow Creek were exceptional weavers in their communities. I grew up listening to my mother, my Chich, and my Aunties telling stories of my family’s weaving and weaving traditions. Family baskets and weaving traditions have been passed down through the generations, and are still continued today through my teachings and basket making. I own a consulting and weaving business, Kalapuya Weaving, where I work with institutions, governments, Tribes and private sectors on traditional ecological knowledge, traditional basket weaving, museum collections management, cultural education and interpretation.
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in cultural anthropology with an emphasis on Northwest Native American cultures, and fulfilled my college language requirement with my Native American language, Chinuk Wawa. I also hold an interdisciplinary Masters of Arts degree comprised of coursework in cultural anthropology, museum studies and folklore studies.
Mary Buckley Mikkelsen
Theater Designer and Cultural Consultant
Pioneer descendant Mary Buckley Mikkelsen is the keeper of stories, displays and artifacts from the Applegate Valley. She is a descendant of the pioneer Buckley family who homesteaded in the Applegate Valley in 1854 and who provided land for Cantrall Buckley Park and the Ruch school. She is retired from 35 years in theatre arts and arts education. Mary has been a board member of the Jackson County Cultural Coalition since 2018. She is Chairperson of Gold Hill Can-Do, a member of Gold Hill Friends of the Library and the Gold Hill Historical Society, and advisor to the Cantrall Buckley Park Enhancement Program. She is active in many groups supporting indigenous peoples’ causes.
Laura Winslow
Artist & Illustrator
I grew up in a home filled with creativity. My mother was a watercolorist who instilled in me a love of the medium and an artist’s eye. After working in advertising art, selling my illustrations at Henri Bendel Department Store in New York City, I married and raised a family. To keep up with my art, I taught art classes to children and continue to teach art and painting workshops to all ages. I love instilling the principals of art in my students; to turn their eyes and hearts to appreciate beautiful art and enjoy doing it themselves. I am now illustrating children’s books, a dream come true. I thoroughly enjoy working with authors to bring to life their characters and stories in full color. I also illustrated Tish’s previous book, Song of the Redwing.
Jesse Jackson
Education Programs Officer, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians
I am enrolled as member #312 with the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians located in Southern Oregon. Agnes Baker Pilgrim (AKA Grandma Aggie) was a close friend of my family for many years. I met Tish through Grandma Aggie during a time they were working on Upriver to Morning together. We were all excited to have our Takelman culture incorporated into a curriculum that could be utilized by schools in our region.
Linda Mullens
Wildlife Biologist and Educator
My life includes working with wildlife, fishery, and botany as a Forest Service biologist in the southern Oregon Siskiyous; the last two decades focused on my passion for environmental education and interpretation, and also included work with numerous non-profits (Pacifica, Table Rock Foundation, Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala). Projects include interpretative signs & brochures, co-author of a rare plant book, youth science education, and youth camps. I am interested in the healing aspects of nature, and in having youth experience and connect with the environment as a foundation for making conscientious and informed decisions in their lives. I am inspired by Grandma Aggie’s teachings and it is an honor to be involved with the Upriver to Morning curriculum at youth camps and events.
Bobbi Kidder
Registered Drama Therapist
I am a teacher, writer, improviser, and drama therapist who works collaboratively with change agents to bring about healing and strengthen community. I am a newcomer to the education team of the Upriver to Morning project, finding in this group the talent to create and the cultural humility that keeps unifying conversations happening.
Dr. John M.H. Kelly
Skidegate Haida Elder and Tribal Member, Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, Co-Director of CIRCLE (Centre for Indigenous Research, Culture, Language & Education), co-author of Encyclopedia of Native American Music of North America and We Interrupt This Program: Indigenous Media Tactics in Canadian Culture.
Four Arrows (Wahinkpe Topa)
Professor
aka Don Trent Jacobs, Ph.D., Ed.D., Professor in the College of Educational Leadership at Fielding Graduate University, and author of Point of Departure: Returning to our More Authentic Worldview for Education and Survival; Teaching Truly: A Curriculum to Indigenize Mainstream Education; Unlearning the Language of Conquest, Primal Awareness, and Restoring the Kinship Worldview (one of Greater Good’s Favorite Books of 2022).
Thomas Doty
Storyteller, Editor, Scriptwriter, Audiobook Narrator, Cultural Consultant, Website Consultant, and Program Partner with author Tish McFadden
Thomas Doty was a beloved storyteller. From 1981 to 2020, he traveled the countryside performing traditional and original stories. He learned his art and native cultural traditions from elders, including listening to his Grandma Maude, the family storyteller. Doty was born in southern Oregon where he lived for the remainder of his life. He was descended from Irish and English settlers who settled in the Rogue Valley in the 1800s, and had family connections to Takelma and Shasta ancestors of the region. He authored several books, including Doty Meets Coyote, published in 2016 by Blackstone Publishing. His stories were broadcast on Public Radio, and he was the recipient of a Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from the national American Indian Program. He was called, “A Cultural Treasure” and “A Master of his Art.”
Thomas Doty passed on June 12, 2020 at age 67.
Thomas’ Website: DotyCoyote.com
Irina Summer
Webmaster, Website Designer, Graphic Designer
David Spinney
Web Optimization
Having a lifelong desire to maximize communication, over the last twenty-five years I have helped firms such as FedEx and Cisco Systems improve their marketing efforts and redesign their websites, with million dollar budgets. These days, I choose to work with organizations like Upriver To Morning, simply because I can focus more on what I love to do – helping good people make a difference in the world.
I also lead workshops on interpersonal communication and environmental issues, while continuing to expand my skills in modern web technologies.