Omaha FACES Story by Bailey Hemphill • Photos by minorwhitestudios.com
Katie Huerter
A
Mother, Student, Activist
t 24, Katie Huerter has experienced more than most her age. She is a mother to
her and husband Nick’s four-year-old son, Sebastian; she attended three undergraduate colleges until finding her perfect fit in UNO’s Non-Profit Administration and Philosophy programs; and she spent 10 days with a delegation in Israel listening and providing non-violent empowerment to Palestinians. Huerter grew up in Honey Creek, Iowa and attended St. Albert Catholic Schools in Council Bluffs before moving to Omaha and attending Duchesne Academy. Although raised Catholic, she had Jews, Muslims, and Christians in her family, so she knew that people of different faiths could coexist. She also grew up going to homeless and women’s shelters, and events on equality with her mother. Needless to say, Huerter was groomed for delegating peace. It was in a Critical Reasoning class at UNO where Huerter read an article about the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict and found herself unable to grasp “how anyone could let such a conflict happen.” Philosophy professor Dr. Rory Conces recommended that she move beyond the books 22
november/december • 2011
and get involved in conflict resolution and global peace organizations. Two years later, she went to Israel. At the trip orientation in Washington, D.C., Huerter and the Youth Delegation practiced being interrogated, non-violent resistance, how they’d react to a riot or demonstration, and how they’d move along occupation lines. Shortly after, they left for Tel Aviv. Within five minutes of being off the airplane, Huerter noticed there were different signs and streets for Israelis and Palestinians, much like during the apartheid in South Africa. “The first day experiencing the [Israeli West Bank barrier] was striking, horrible, and empowering all at once.” Over the 10 days, Huerter participated in two demonstrations in Jerusalem, stayed in Israeli and Palestinian homes near Gaza, and visited Palestine’s Birzeit University. During these experiences, she learned about the inability to travel between Palestinian cities due to the militaristic Israeli checkpoints and the inaccessibility of transit permits for Palestinians. At one checkpoint, the entire delegation was taken off their bus at gunpoint. The Israeli guards took their passports, looked through their cameras and deleted photos, and interrogated them. Huerter believes some in Israel don’t want the world to know what’s happening in the West Bank. continued on page 24
“The first day experiencing the [Israeli West Bank barrier] was striking, horrible, and empowering all at once.” www.OmahaPublications.com