Indymedia emerged from the clouds of tear gas that filled the streets of Seattle in 1999 as a tool for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of truth. Then and now, the stories told through Indymedia come from the hearts and minds of people on the frontlines of the struggle for justice against tyranny. Since 1999, Indymedia has grown into a network of nearly 100 Independent Media Centers (IMCs) all over the world by means of a commitment to equality, decentralization and autonomy.

Portland Indymedia is an IMC for the southern Cascadia region of Turtle Island (an area temporarily demarcated as "Oregon" and southern "Washington" on some maps). Indymedia activism can take many forms, but is rooted in the Indymedia Principles of Unity which profess that the open exchange of and open access to information is a prerequisite to the building of a more free and just society. The Portland Indymedia principles of unity (see below) are based on this document. Portland Indymedia is not a membership organization; it is a tactic, a concept, and a movement that can be effectively utilized in many different ways.