It was when people began to send her death threats that University of Victoria English professor Misao Dean began to get scared.

Last year, Dean found herself at the centre of a cyberbullying storm after an interview with CBC 180 was picked up by international media outlets quoting her out of context.

In the interview, she talked about recreational canoeing as a symbol of colonialism, imperialism, and marginalization and used the phrase "white canoeists."

That angered some listeners.

"I found that using the term 'white' was a bit of a ... red flag for some listeners who took offence that I had used that term," she said.

The story went viral and she soon received such a slew of hate mail that her university had to step in and take control of her email.

"What was frightening was how many there were, how far away the people were who sent them," she said. "There were people who threatened my life."

This week, as many around the country mark events highlighting violence against women, Dean decided to speak up, so she made her first media appearance since the original interview.

"Those people who bullied me were trying to shut me up," she said to CBC host of All Points West Jason D'Souza. "It's important for me and for other women, that we don't step back when someone tries to shut us up."

Women need to speak out and take care

Dean wants to prepare other women, in case they ever find themselves in the same situation.

"Any women who steps into the spotlight, as an expert on anything, has to be prepared for an incredible backlash," she said.

This could mean removing a publicly available e-mail address from the Internet or ensuring that workplaces have a support system to guide and train women on how to handle backlash, she said.

"We have a responsibility to get our ideas out into the public sphere and to join public conversations, but there are consequences to that in this kind of a media atmosphere and we have to be prepared for those consequences."

Even after the hailstorm of negativity Dean received last year, she`s still open to healthy debate on her work.

"Let me be clear. I have no trouble discussing my research with anyone who wants to discuss it with me. Anyone who wants to talk to me about it, you can't shut me up really."

To hear more, click on the audio below:

With files from All Points West.