Nan McNutt
I was eleven years old when my family moved to the island of Pohnpei (pon’pay)—one of the high volcanic islands of Micronesia filled with lots of jungle, from the mountains to the lagoons. Because there were no other Euro-American children my age, my parents enrolled me in the local school. I soon began learning the customs and language of the island. But when I was 16 years old, my parents sent me back to the “States” to attend a boarding school. As you might imagine, this was a difficult thing to do, because as a teenager I had become so familiar to the ways of Pohnpei.
When I look back now, I realize that my young years on Pohnpei gave me “different eyes” through which to understand and feel comfortable with people of different cultures. No wonder I ended up studying anthropology at the University of Washington. It was there that I began developing friendships with Native American students.
Since receiving my Masters in Education many years ago, I have lived and worked in Native American communities and schools. I now write children’s books, create instructional classroom materials, and lead workshops for teachers in partnership with elders, educators and artists from many Native American communities. It is the inspiration from these people, as well as the response from the teachers and students themselves, that motivates me to develop new ways to honor indigenous peoples, their languages and their cultures.
This site is a place of learning and understanding for students, educators, multi-cultural experts and persons interested in seeing another culture through "different eyes."
Welcome!
Credits
- Web site masthead design based on a gold bracelet designed and crafted by Steven Brown
- Web site design and graphics by Cynthia Long (www.harvestblessings.com)
- Web page content edited by Jennifer McCord and Roberta Trahan