Welcome to the Red Earth Descendants Website

The mission of NOWIA is to unite indigenous groups from North and Central America who reside in Southwest Oregon, principally Jackson County, to form sustainable communities using traditional indigenous wisdom and techniques. Unete, Center for Farm Worker Advocacy, and Red Earth Descendants (R.E.D.) have been collaborating on indigenous cultural exchanges in our valley for the past three years. By bringing the two groups together in this alliance, we will create a strong organization to protect Native culture, engage in civic participation, education and natural resource protection in our community.

For a number of years, we have been working with indigenous groups in our region (Southern Oregon/Northern California) as well as Mexico and Central America who currently reside in our area on organizing, advocacy, community-building and leadership development. We offer traditional cultural education and exposure to youth and families as an alternative to the growing epidemic of substance abuse, gang involvement and violence constantly pressuring our younger generations. Many of the youth in these groups (Unete and Red Earth Descendants) cling to the limited knowledge of their indigenous roots and have found a "way back" to feeling included and productive in these safe communities.