Bishop Laurie Caesar’s office is right down the street from Ora et Labora, and we’re delighted that we’ve gotten to know her over the past year. Not only has Bishop Laurie helped us put together the slate of Protest Pours speakers, but she generously offered her time to lead a session on the Land Return movement, and the ELCA’s role in that movement!
CEO Oscar Arana of the Native American Youth and Family Center will be joining Bishop Laurie for this evening’s discussion. Here’s a bit of information about the return of Bethany Lutheran Church to NAYA:
“In a rare and forward-looking act of land return, the Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has returned the property that was once Bethany Lutheran Church in Portland to the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), marking a significant evolution in the national Land Back movement, one that moves beyond symbolism into permanent, community-focused development.
The site, located in Northeast Portland, sits on land once stewarded for thousands of years by Chinookan-speaking Peoples, including the Clackamas, Kathlamet, and Multnomah, near the historic village of Neerchokikoo. Today, that same land is poised to become permanently affordable housing for Native Elders, an ambitious vision that connects past, present, and future in a single place.
‘This is an incredible and significant opportunity for NAYA and the Native community,” said NAYA’s CEO Oscar Arana (Chichimeca). “This will positively change the future of our work and organization. We believe this moment can help define what meaningful land return looks like in an urban city, not just acknowledgment, but action that creates long-term stability, healing, and opportunity.’”
Laurie Larson Caesar serves as Bishop of the Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - a region of roughly 100 churches, campus ministries and innovative spiritual communities listening for Spirit as we walk together the Justice Way of Jesus. In 2025, she was re-elected to serve another 6-year term in Oregon, in a prayerful, collegial and conciliar process of 275 elected lay leaders and clergy in the Oregon Synod.
Laurie graduated from Harvard Divinity School and her ministry contexts have included Iowa, Montana, Portland State University, Stanford University and Spirit of Grace, a congregation of Lutherans and Roman Catholics in Beaverton.
Bishop Caesar enjoys hiking, playing banjo, dark chocolate, poetry, birding and women's basketball, necessarily in that order.
Oscar Arana, Chichimeca, is the Chief Executive Officer at the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA). Oscar has worked at NAYA for more than 15 years in various leadership roles including Community Development (CD) Director, Director of Development and Communications, and Education Manager. Under his leadership, NAYA’s affordable housing portfolio more than tripled to 316 units and established the first tribal leasing housing preference policy outside a reservation setting in the Pacific Northwest. Oscar oversaw substantial growth in the CD Department which led to the creation of the Housing and Stabilization Services Department, creating more capacity and focus for NAYA’s housing services. Oscar has 20 years of experience working in culturally specific, community-based organizations. He worked for Oregon US Senator, Ron Wyden, as his Multnomah County Field Director, was a television news producer in Yakima, Washington, and reporter for the Associated Press in Mexico City. He was appointed by Governor Brown to the Oregon Health Policy Board where he served for 7 years, including serving as Chair of the board. Oscar is a graduate of the University of Oregon’s Executive MBA program and School of Journalism and Communications.
Bishop Laurie Caesar’s office is right down the street from Ora et Labora, and we’re delighted that we’ve gotten to know her over the past year. Not only has Bishop Laurie helped us put together the slate of Protest Pours speakers, but she generously offered her time to lead a session on the Land Return movement, and the ELCA’s role in that movement!
CEO Oscar Arana of the Native American Youth and Family Center will be joining Bishop Laurie for this evening’s discussion. Here’s a bit of information about the return of Bethany Lutheran Church to NAYA:
“In a rare and forward-looking act of land return, the Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has returned the property that was once Bethany Lutheran Church in Portland to the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), marking a significant evolution in the national Land Back movement, one that moves beyond symbolism into permanent, community-focused development.
The site, located in Northeast Portland, sits on land once stewarded for thousands of years by Chinookan-speaking Peoples, including the Clackamas, Kathlamet, and Multnomah, near the historic village of Neerchokikoo. Today, that same land is poised to become permanently affordable housing for Native Elders, an ambitious vision that connects past, present, and future in a single place.
‘This is an incredible and significant opportunity for NAYA and the Native community,” said NAYA’s CEO Oscar Arana (Chichimeca). “This will positively change the future of our work and organization. We believe this moment can help define what meaningful land return looks like in an urban city, not just acknowledgment, but action that creates long-term stability, healing, and opportunity.’”
Laurie Larson Caesar serves as Bishop of the Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - a region of roughly 100 churches, campus ministries and innovative spiritual communities listening for Spirit as we walk together the Justice Way of Jesus. In 2025, she was re-elected to serve another 6-year term in Oregon, in a prayerful, collegial and conciliar process of 275 elected lay leaders and clergy in the Oregon Synod.
Laurie graduated from Harvard Divinity School and her ministry contexts have included Iowa, Montana, Portland State University, Stanford University and Spirit of Grace, a congregation of Lutherans and Roman Catholics in Beaverton.
Bishop Caesar enjoys hiking, playing banjo, dark chocolate, poetry, birding and women's basketball, necessarily in that order.
Oscar Arana, Chichimeca, is the Chief Executive Officer at the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA). Oscar has worked at NAYA for more than 15 years in various leadership roles including Community Development (CD) Director, Director of Development and Communications, and Education Manager. Under his leadership, NAYA’s affordable housing portfolio more than tripled to 316 units and established the first tribal leasing housing preference policy outside a reservation setting in the Pacific Northwest. Oscar oversaw substantial growth in the CD Department which led to the creation of the Housing and Stabilization Services Department, creating more capacity and focus for NAYA’s housing services. Oscar has 20 years of experience working in culturally specific, community-based organizations. He worked for Oregon US Senator, Ron Wyden, as his Multnomah County Field Director, was a television news producer in Yakima, Washington, and reporter for the Associated Press in Mexico City. He was appointed by Governor Brown to the Oregon Health Policy Board where he served for 7 years, including serving as Chair of the board. Oscar is a graduate of the University of Oregon’s Executive MBA program and School of Journalism and Communications.
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