Ecuadorian professor gives U students indigenous perspectives (fwd)

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Ecuadorian professor gives U students indigenous perspectives
By: Jed Layton

Issue date: 11/14/05 Section: News
http://media.www.dailyutahchronicle.com/media/paper244/news/2005/11/14/News/Ecuadorian.Professor.Gives.U.Students.Indigenous.Perspectives-1056374.shtml?sourcedomain=www.dailyutahchronicle.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com

[photo inset - Media Credit: Maegan Burr
Luz Maria de la Torre, a professor at Arizona State University, shared
her experiences with students while visiting the U last week.]

Luz Maria de la Torre considers herself lucky to be where she is today-a
professor at Arizona State University.

Originally from an indigenous population in Ecuador, de la Torre, now an
outreach coordinator for ASU, struggled to become educated in a hostile
environment.

"My father said women should not be able to study," de la Torre
explained. "But my mother helped me to get through high school and
eventually university."

De la Torre-speaking through a Spanish translator-shared her experiences
and knowledge with students and faculty while visiting the U.

De la Torre said the experiences and knowledge she has gained in
American universities will benefit both the universities she visits and
her own home country.

"The history of my indigenous people has been very negative until now,"
she said. "This is not only a great experience for me, it is a great
experience for them."

Isabel Dulfano, an assistant professor of Spanish, applied for the Dee
grant that brought de la Torre to the U. She said that de la Torre was
invited because she is a pioneer in indigenous culture and language.

"Maria is one of an emerging group of indigenous intellectuals," she
said. "These intellectuals are linked to opposition to neoliberal
reforms that have impoverished native populations."

While visiting, de la Torre worked in collaboration with multiple U
professors, like Ken Jamison in economics, and even taught individual
classes. She also worked with professors in history, Spanish and
linguistics.

Dulfano said she especially appreciated the knowledge de la Torre has in
languages and enjoyed the two lectures de la Torre gave on Spanish and
Kichwa languages. De la Torre grew up speaking the indigenous language
of Kichwa and learned Spanish at the age of 7.

"As a teenager, I learned two other indigenous languages," she said. "I
also studied French while in France."

De la Torre said that American institutions-especially the U-are
different from those in Ecuador and most of South America.

"In Ecuador we say a big university has 3,000 students," she said. "But
the U is a big, large university with many more students."

She also noted that American universities place greater importance on
gaining an understanding of indigenous people and languages than do the
universities of South America.

j.layton at chronicle.utah.edu