The "Soje" Story
Soje Publishing is an imprint belonging to Native American writer, Anna Lee Walters, a member of the Pawnee and Otoe-Missouria people of Oklahoma, living on Navajoland. I write most of the content on this website, unless another writer is identified. To read the Terms and Conditions of this website, hover over Home on the menu until the tab appears and click on it.
Welcome! Soje Publishing showcases the writing of Native authors living in tribal communities today. All the writers and other artists featured here retain all rights to their own works, so please apply Fair Use law when accessing their materials. Soje (pronounced So-jay) in the Otoe-Missouria language means smoke, which has several connotations for Native American people.
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The following videos can be viewed on this page or through the Soje Channel on You Tube. Manto Thewe Videos is part
of Soje oral storytelling.
Poetry—Symbolism
Diné Philosophy shared by Harry Walters
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Poetry—Experimental
Chagre Wakan
True story of an Otoe-Missouria soldier during WWII—part of Veterans' Series.
New Video Coming Soon.
True story about spiritual and mystical experiences in the Plains tradition.
Gems
Check out these books dealing with Native people. What do you think?
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No Dogs or Indians, a Novel, by Lisa Hare was published in 2016.
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The Navajo in Their Different Genius; Living a Long Life in Beauty Has Its Own Reward, by Jennifer Kitchell and Harry Walters, 2023, is a work of non-fiction covering a wide range of topics.
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Two coloring books ("Alchini" and "Tsidii"} by Alex Mitchell were prepared for the Navajo Nation Zoo. Children's books are so rare in tribal communities. Contact appaloosa0454@gmail.com for more details.
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Literature from the Past
From The Sacred: Ways of Knowledge, Sources of Life by P.V. Beck, et al 8, Navajo Community College Press, 1977
Most Native Americans share the follow six concepts:
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A belief in or knowledge of unseen powers or what some people call the Great Mystery
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Knowledge that all things in the universe are dependent on each other.
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Personal worship reinforces the bond between the individual, community, and the great powers. Worship is a personal commitment to the sources of life.
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Sacred traditions and persons knowledgeable in sacred traditions are responsible for teaching morals and ethics.
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Most communities and tribes have trained practitioners who have been given names such as medicine men, priests, shamans, caciques, and other names. These individuals also have titles given them by The People which differ from tribe to tribe. These individuals are responsible for specialized, perhaps secret knowledge. They help pass knowledge and sacred practices from generation to generation, storing what they know in memories.
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A belief that humor is a necessary part of the sacred. And a belief that human beings are often weak—we are not gods—and our weakness leads us to do foolish things; therefore clowns and similar figures are needed to show us how we act and why.
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What's your story?
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Photo by Meisha Walters © 2022
To submit work for publishing consideration, please use the Contact form at the bottom of page. Do not send work on first contact. Please inquire first. The process is: Inquiry, Review, Editing, and Publishing.​. Inquire first.​ Poetry, short fiction, and creative non-fiction are the main genres sought for publishing on this website and these works are shared online at no cost to website readers.
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Citation Information (Add date accessed):
APA, Seventh Edition, Website
Native American Literature/Soje Publishing. (n.d.-b). Soje Publishing: https://www.sojepublishing.com/
MLA, 8, Website
Walters, Anna L. “Native American Literature.” Soje Publishing, www.sojepublishing.com
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Quote from Wolfkiller
"It is ourselves that we must control."
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(As told and recorded by Louisa Wetherill, page 40, published by Gibbs Smith, 2007.)
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Please order A Remembrance of the Earth—Maya Suje Mi... from https://www.shiyazhisage.com
Please order Ghost Singer from University of New Mexico Press.