Native American Literature
2023
About Soje
This is an author website for Anna Lee Walters, a Native American writer with a fifty-year background in writing about Native American communities. She writes most of the content for the website, unless specified otherwise.
Soje began publishing Native American writers and artists who live primarily in indigenous communities in 2015. It focuses on indigenous groups and their direct insight or generational experience as time-honored ways of knowing and being. These works are for continuance, lifelong learning, and the classroom.
Story Catcher: Summer Writing Workshop & Festival Learn more at storycatcherworkshop.org
All the writers, photographers and artists featured on this website own their creative works. Outside of Fair Use, do not reproduce their work without their prior written permission.
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May 26, 2023 Updates.
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A new video will be posted next week. It is called "Know This." It is part of the Manto Thewe Videos. You can access it on this page or through the Soje Channel on You Tube. If you view it here, it builds our visibility and increases our visitor numbers.
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Two-minute videos on authors are found on Artists Profiles tab. More will be added.
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The Poetry Series will continue to be built. "Maya Suje"is part of Poetry Series and of Manto Thewe Videos. "Iwasde" is found in the Archive.
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There are two continuing series: Crossing Borders and Veterans' Stories. The most recent are on the Archive page.
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A general overview of how to use this website for life enrichment or in the classroom is found under Native American Literature, under the More tab.
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New works from previously unpublished writers are forthcoming. Older work from Native American writers is also given space here.
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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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Videos/Movies
"Mother Earth and Father Sky: Teachings" is told by Navajo historian and philosopher, Harry Walters. It can be viewed here (click the link) or on the Soje Channel of You Tube. This video has been viewed more than 2000 times on this website and You Tube. A forthcoming five minute video on the story of the Salt Clan of the Navajo also told by Harry Walters will be available here soon.
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"Chagre Wakan, Sacred Shield" is a modern day story about spiritual experience, told by Anna Lee Walters (Pawnee and Otoe Missouria), and it can be viewed on the Soje channel or click the link here.
Watch Now!!
This video is a part of the Veterans' Stories series. It tells of an Otoe-Missouria soldier during WWII and how he received his name. He was a student at Chilocco Indian School when he entered the war.
Manto Thewe Video—Poetry - "Maya Suje"
This is an experimental video.
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Photo by Meisha Walters © 2022
What's your story?
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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.
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To request quotes for other purposes, use the contact form at the bottom of page. Inquire first.
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Poetry, short fiction, and creative non-fiction are sought for this website. We offer a publishing contract and payment for original and creative work, but the work must go through the process described above. The perspective here is direct Native People insight and work is shared online at no cost to website viewers.
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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 Ghost Singer from University of New Mexico Press.
