Always Here

Marta Lu Parazoo Clifford is a tribal elder and member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (Chinook, Cree) Marta is a native of Oregon and strives to always be a good caretaker of the world we live in. She currently serves as the Tribal Elder-In-residence for the University of Oregon Native theater courses, under the direction of Theresa May. As Elder-in-residence at UO, Marta Lu helps engage students in Indigenous history and critical perspectives. Students learn about Oregon Native history, Indigenous methodologies, and the ways in which Native artists have used theater to tell their stories. She also assists in coordinating the public readings of Native plays at the Many Nations Longhouse on campus. She is committed to ensuring Native plays and playwrights are shown, developed, and shared in the community. She is an actress, a writer of stories and plays, and a storyteller. In 2020 Marta, Theresa May, and Lori Tapahonso (Dine`, Acoma Pueblo) founded the illioo Native Theatre. Illioo means joyful in the language of the Kalapuya people, who were the first people of the land where the theatre group was formed. Marta does tours of the Kalapuya Talking Stones for University of Oregon students for Native Studies, History, and Theater classes.