Native Threads Featured Profile: Kateri Walker
Kateri Walker is a tribal member of the Anishinabe Nation. Her father is from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan and her mother is from the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation, Ontario, Canada; she is also of Belgian descent. After her senior year in high school Kateri entered into the Chemical Engineering program at Michigan Technological University. By her third year, however, she was ready to pursue her dream of performing and transferred to the University of Michigan. While at the University of Michigan, Miss Walker was offered the opportunity to satisfy her foreign language requirement in France during a two-month intensive and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre & Drama. She headed for New York City to further pursue her dream. Within six months, Kateri had earned membership in two professional acting unions: the Actor’s Equity Association and the Screen Actor’s Guild. Her love of theatre kept her in New York City, but the film world was starting to beckon. With each visit to Los Angeles, she booked a role. After her move to California and back-to-back film roles, Kateri was called home to care for her terminally ill mother and put her career plans on hold.
When she returned to California, Kateri applied her skills in the Partnership Program with the U.S. Census Bureau which included the entire Urban Indian segment of South California. As it was the first time Native Americans were counted in the history of the U.S. Census, Kateri was particularly poised to make an impact in her community. Kateri wrote, produced and directed a video for the Bureau stressing the importance of being counted. She was able to persuade Urban Indians from all walks of life to work with her. The Southwest Museum opened their doors, gratis; students, powwow dancers, actors, teachers, musicians, elders, Tribal council members and many others came to support Kateri in her endeavor. Kateri was honored to Jingle Dress dance with Keith Secola and the Wild Band of Indians at the Grand Opening of the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Kateri places most of her emphasis on dance from her heart. She has danced across the United States and Canada in such places as: Toronto, Denver, Albuquerque, New York City, Vancouver Island and her home state of Michigan. Kateri feels compelled to dance for those who cannot dance whether they are sick, elderly or have special needs, as well as, those who are incarcerated or forbidden to dance. Kateri has been honored to act as Head Lady Dancer from Brooklyn to Malibu. Miss Walker has received numerous awards for her acting roles to date. She received accolades for her work in Home and The Strange Case of Bunny Weequod from the American Indian Film Festival, San Francisco. She also received an "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in Film" award from the First Americans in the Arts Awards, Beverly Hills, California for her performance in Outside Ozona In Blueberry (a.k.a. Renegade) Kateri breaks more stereotypes. Jan Kounen, director of the film, wrote Kateri in and named her character after Kateri. After a long hiatus, Miss Walker has returned to film and on stage in June, 2009 in THE FRYBREAD QUEEN to be work-shopped at The La Jolla Playhouse. With greatest respect, Kateri dedicates her dancing spirit to her late mother Mary Anne Walker as she danced as Head Lady Dancer, April 18th and 19th, 2009 at the Chumash Powwow in Malibu, California..
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