Oregon Public Broadcasting

An ethnic artist and a member of the Nez Perce tribe, Lonnie Alexander resides on the Umatilla Reservation near Pendleton. For 35 years she was a nurse but when her mother died she found she could fill the void with art. She now spends most of her time involved in photography and painting. Lonnie uses photography to record lives and customs of her people. She then chooses a few photographs to paint. Her goal is to document her tribe's elders.