The Clackamas Print Page 6
Wednesday, Feb. 8,1995
FEATURES
JCifce expenimw cbtwe Uaiiw K m & ùuul
by Jocelyn Gauthier
Feature Editor
“Where there is no struggle,
there is no strength” is the motto
lor Katherine Quartz, second-year
student and member of the Walker
River Pauite tribe in Walker
River, Nevada.
Quartz was bom in Portland
and grew up in Milwaukie when
she was adopted at the age of three
into a German/Swede family. She
started having identity problems
and so began a search for her roots
in 1978, when she was 16 years
of age.
At first Quartz thought she
“was of Mexican descent,” so she
“traveled all the way down to
south of the border” and lived a
primitive lifestyle in Mexico for
six months. She eventually
learned that she was not Hispanic
and made her way back to
America as a Spanish-speaking
Indian, but found a lot of opposi­
tion along.the way.
A lot of things in her life can­
not be written down because of the
“mystique of the oral tradition,”
she said.
“Though many times were
met with opposition, perseverance
was the only way to accomplish
my personal quest,” Quartz said.
Ten years later and with two
sons, aged ten and 12, Quartz
found the tip she needed. She
learned that her home was among
the Walker River Pauite tribe in
Nevada.
“Finding my family of origin
(Walker River Pauites) was the
key to my personal and profes­
sional success, for going home to
the rez (reservation) and meeting
my blood relatives was instrumen­
tal in myself becoming who I am
today. It was my home, although
I’d never been there,” she said.
When she found her home,
uumhou
U Jiiul uktdtftj
ing her autobi­
she learned
ography pub­
that she was in
lished, which is
a family line of
untitled at this
medicine
time. The book
people and that
will deal with
they had his­
socio-politics,
tory of longev­
her time in
ity. For ex­
Mexico and
ample, one
some deep-roots
lived to be 114!
things in her
“Living in
life. As a per­
three cultures,
son who grew
being raised
up in an urban
with German
lifestyle, and
ethics of hard
then going to
work and con­
the reservation,
sistency, then
she would like
delving into
to, if she pur­
the Hispanic
sues
her
culture, open­
Photo by Christi Snavely
master’s, write
ing a world of
Katherine Quartz, student at CCC and a Native American,
her thesis on the
language and
will be having a book published which describes her
transition from
Mexican cui­
struggles and triumphs.
rural reserva­
sine, then fi­
Quartz really believes that, tion life to urban life.
nally coming home to a place I’d
She also plans to do a pro­
never been before has enabled me had she not gone home, she would
to really SEE from the many per­ never have become the person she fessional recording playing the
spectives of the paradigm of life,” is today. “I believe in chosen North American Red Cedar Flute.
plans...because of the chosen “I just happened to pick that up
she said.
One of her observations has plan, I have become this sort of because someone told me ‘music
is the healing force of the uni­
been the role of women in the dif­ person,” she said.
Quartz is working toward her verse.’ It’s kind of fun, too,” she
ferent cultures she has lived in.
In America, they are semi-equal; degree in International Studies/ said. “It is through healing that
in Mexico, they work hard but Linguistic Anthropology and we can properly nurture and care
have no status; and in her tribe plans to transfer to Portland State for our fiiture generations. Being
and affiliates, they are regarded University. She is .ilready bilin­ a positive role model for today’s
as the backbone of society and gual and can speak a little Pauite, youth is a priority,” she said.
hold high leadership roles.
but hopes to learn Shoshone,
“Perhaps through life’s trials
“Upon arriving at the rez and Lakota, Din’e (Navajo), French and triumphs, it was revealed that
being nominated to be chairper­ and Italian in the next five years. the only real mistakes we make
son of the Western Nevada North She would learn her native lan­ are the ones we don’t learn
America Group, being catapulted guage, but said “my language is from...being of mixed blood, my
in my success in leadership roles, dying...my aunties would get responsibility is to perhaps bridge
I have been fortunate to be on state slapped for speaking the Pauite together cultures and to promote
and national committees, allow­ language (in their schools). What cultural diversity.
ing another voice to be heard. As good is Pauite in this area?”
“Walking above the ground,
Quartz, a single mother, ha's not knowing where your roots are,
indigenous people, we need to
empower ourselves and create our supported her family for nine can be devastating. Today I know
own destiny. Education and ex­ years with her floral design busi­ where my roots are,” she said.
perience are the keys to knowl­ ness, “Designs by Katherine.” Quartz has been back in Oregon
edge and power,” Quartz said.
She is also in the process of hav­ for a year and five months and
said that “when the time comes,
I’ll go back (to the reservation).’”
Growing up, Quartz saw the
world through her adopted
family’s eyes. Now she sees
through many perspectives, but
especially feels closest to that of
a poem called “Noble Redman,
Redman Dying,” written by her
friend, Tomm Eagle.
The poem represents an ur­
ban Indian perspective when “all
the ritual and ceremonial mecha­
nisms for achieving spiritual di­
rection are taken away...the fol­
lowing poem, while primarily re­
flecting the urban Indian’s posi­
tion of alienation, is not unlike the
rupture and estrangement found
in the larger mainstream society.”
Noble Redman, Redman Dying
Noble Redman, Redman dying,
with tentative hands and
downcast eyes,
your shuffling feet and
stained clothes entreat
the purposeful passerby.
Noble Redman, Redman dying,
the sameness of your defeated
dialogue
makes you invisible
and collective conscience
oblivious
to your derelict disguise.
Noble Redman, Redman dying,
you are the contradiction of
a continent
as you assemble in doorways,
on park benches,
in cast-off shoes and secondhand
clothes;
you have become the un­
wanted.
Noble Redman, Redman dying,
now destined to a heritage of
humiliation,
outside the fringe of dignity,
you exist in monotony on the
margins of humanity...
you are a question without an
answer.
CofCege Cwwewafioi« to dbciuw awpiw
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by Jocelyn Gauthier .
Feature Editor
'
!
Yon\eprobabtyseenafew
“artsy” flyers, and brochure’s
aronndcampusadvertising for
the Entre Amigos (the Spanish
Club),drawn byBradZinn, sec­
ond-year student, ; ' '
This is Zinn’s first year tn
Spanish, and he plans to mate
it W mint» when W transfers
to the University of Oregon,
where he will, major in psychbl*
' He is “very io volved in the \
Spanish Club,” hesaid.
Zinn, started (foing ariw|Bi
“by accident. I w just goofing
at^iM.tM^dayandshpwed [toe
^awjng|to my Spanish teacher,
andshe>st^)solotely loved it”
hesaid.
' “Ifsafunthingfor me/It’s
more of a hobby;* he said;
by Anjanette Booth
News Editor
“College Conversations,” an
informal luncheon for CCC stu­
dents, will be held with President
John Keyser, administrators, fac­
ulty and staff on Friday, Feb. 10
in the Forum building.
A special invitation is given
to all students involved in Phi
Theta Kappa, honors and leader­
ship classes, student government,
print staff, scholarship nominees,
and internships to join in the con­
versation; however, it is open to
all students.
The main topic for this term’s
conversation will be ways to
strengthen academic and leader­
ship opportunities at CCC. If
other issues about the college
come up, they will also be dis­
cussed.
“One of the school’s visions
was to increase dialogue between
students, administration and
staff,” said Becky Carnahan, col­
lege conversation coordinator.
Camahan was faced with the
challenge of helping to meet this
goal two years ago. A represen­
tative from ASG and Carnahan
came up with the idea of an in­
formal lunch and conversation
joining together the college presi­
dent, faculty, staff and students.
The first “College Conversa­
tion” was held in the fall of 1993,
with John Keyser speaking oh the
state of the college. Other topics
ímum
that could be discussed are the
wait list, the book store, the reg­
istration process, graduation, ad­
vising and educational planning.
“I think we have a lot to of­
fer in all these areas but a lot of
students don’t even know that
they are there,” Carnahan said.
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