Native American speaks on behalf of her tribe ■A member or the Pawnee and Otoe-Missouria nations shows her Web site for the first time publicly at the UO By Brooke Ross Oregon Daily Emerald Anna Lee Walters patiently wait ed for the audience to quiet down as she stood in front of a crowd of 50 on Friday in Grayson Hall. When she began speaking, her voice float ed clearly through the room and captured everyone’s attention. Walters, a Native American au thor and instructor at Dine College in Tsaile, Ariz., presented her new Web site for the first time publicly Friday afternoon at the University. It is an accomplishment for herself, (( / write for myself, and being Otoe-Missouria and Pawnee, it’s always from that perspective. Anna Lee Walters Native American author, Dine College instructor for her people of the Pawnee and Otoe-Missouria nations and for women throughout the world. She also spoke about her writing of Na tive American experiences. Her presentation, along with her husband Harry Walter’s speech on environmental issues, was spon sored by the history department and various University groups. Walters has been writing stories that reflect the values of her tribal people since she was 17. But she has now taken her need to convey the message of her people one step further by creating her own Web site, www.womanearth.org. It is written in both the Pawnee and the Otoe-Missouria languages. One part of the Web site focuses on Native American women and shows all the stages of a woman’s life, from a young girl to an elderly woman. The section of the site is in the format of a lesson to teach visi tors about the Pawnee language. There are also lessons in the Otoe Missouria language. This is something new for Wal ters because most tribal Web sites are made by men. “To do this is very different,” she said. “It breaks a lot of rules.” In a typical tribal atmosphere, she said, if she wants to convey infor mation to the group, she will speak through a male family member. With her Web site, she speaks through no one. “This is one reason why I wanted to do the Web site from a woman’s perspective,” she said. Walters said she chose not to do the site in English because her in tended audience is the Pawnee and Otoe-Missouria people. She is legal ly registered as Pawnee. “I didn’t want to explain to any one what I was doing,” she said. “Kind of like writing a story, I just wanted to go right into it.” Walters said she is concerned about what her people will think of the Web site. So she included a pho tograph of her grandmother because many of the Pawnee people will recognize her and know that Wal ters is a genuine member of their na tion. “Everything I do reflects on the people, so I am always conscious of that,” she said. Although Walters said everything she does, including her writing, is done for the Native American audi ence first, she writes in English be cause it is easier for her and because there are very few readers of her tribal languages. “I write for myself, and being Otoe-Missouria and Pawnee, it’s al ways from that perspective,” she said. Matthew Dennis, an associate Chrystal McConnell Emerald Author Anna Lee Walters spoke Friday at Grayson Hall about her most recent novels on Native American issues and presented her new Web site on Pawnee and Otoe-Missouria women. Though bucking tribal customs, her site speaks with a native woman’s voice. history professor at the University, said one reason the history depart ment wanted Walters to speak was that she would provide a different perspective than the history profes sors. “It’s very important to try to rep resent the diverse community that we have on campus and introduce other voices, native voices in our conversations,” Dennis said. Sophomore Bryce Arndt, who watched Walters’ presentation, said she admires everything Walters has done for her people and for women in general. “She’s saying she’s a voice for her people because they have not had a voice for so long,” she said. Though Walters primarily writes for a Native American audience, she said it is also important for everyone to be familiar with other cultures. Anyone can learn Pawnee words on the Web site, but it is in tended to reconnect her own people with the linguistic aspect of their heritage. “Other cultures present other ways of living, and that’s worth while,” she said. “If this encourages people to speak the language, if it just does that, that’s enough.” LASIK Laser Vision Correction Nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism STEVEN OFNER, MD You Don't Have To Imagine Anymore! Discover the freedom of reducing your dependence on glasses or contact lenses. Call us to see f you are a candidate & explore your options with a FREE consultation appointment STEVEN OFNER, M.D. (541) 687-1715 | http://www.eugeneeyecare.com Jerry Allen BEFORE Jerry Allen AFTER (Surgery by Steven Ofner, MD) Study in SCANDINAVIA 2001-2002 ACADEMIC YEAR, FALL SEMESTER 2001or SPRING SEMESTER 2002 University of Aalborg, Denmark — University of Tampere, Finland University of Bergen, Norway — University of Uppsala, Sweden Courses taught in English: Sciences, Social Science, Business, Economics, Journalism and Communication, Literature & Culture •UO resident credit • Attend for a semester or year •Financial Aid may be applied Deadline: April 15, 2001 Information Session Thursday, March 8 at 4 p.m. International Lounge, EMU (above the Post Office) Contact: The Office of international Education and Exchange 330 Oregon Hall, (541) 346-3207 COT A STOltY IDEA? GIVE US A CALL ! 3 4 6 - 5 5 1 1 Emerald Oregon Daily Emerald P.O. 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