During this program Julie Cajune — an American Indian storyteller, educator, and actress — talks about writing the stories in her one-woman play titled “Belief.” She also describes the process of collaborating with writer and poet Jennifer Finley and stage director Linda Grinde
"Belief" is a multidimensional performance, a unique mixture of interconnected Salish women’s stories, poetry, and live music.
"I want people to see Indian women in a different way than media has presented them." - Julie Cajune
The music in this program was written and performed by John Floridis.
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Julie Cajune has been working in education for over 20 years. A former classroom teacher, Julie went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Education and worked as a curriculum specialist for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. She returned to public education and worked as a school administrator for six years. During her tenure with the Ronan School district, Julie was awarded the Milken National Educator Award.
Ms. Cajune has worked on culturally responsive educational materials for the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Montana Historical Society and numerous other entities. She recently completed a three-year project developing tribal history materials funded by the Montana State Legislature. In 2009 Julie was named as one of “50 visionaries changing your world.” That same year, she was awarded a 1.4 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The Kellogg grant was housed at Salish Kootenai College. Grant activities focused on documenting community histories of tribes in Montana and across the country. Julie is a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and a recipient of the 2011Montana Governor’s Humanities Award.