Hello. Nyaweñha Sgeñ•noñʔ (I am thankful you are well). If you found me here you already know that I am a writer. I write children’s books (though one day I will surprise you with a memoir). What you may not know about me is that I am Native American. I am an enrolled member of the Onondaga Nation, which is located near Syracuse, New York, and I’m a proud member of the Turtle clan.
I grew up at Onondaga and I attended the Onondaga Nation School from grades K-5. The Nation School is where I discovered the distinct lack of Native American voices in literature. This discovery, coupled with my lifelong love of writing, led to a conviction that I would one day become an author. There was no such thing as the #OWNVOICES movement when I was a child. But, I knew then, my focus would be to create contemporary stories that allow Native people, especially children, to see themselves authentically represented by one of their own.
When I’m not writing, I’m either traveling, spending time with family & friends, or enjoying live music. I love to travel! What I enjoy most about traveling is meeting new people. It is a privilege to get to know and understand people from various backgrounds and cultures; what I’ve ultimately learned is that we have much more in common than we have differences.
I am an alumni of Cornell University and Le Moyne College. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communications from Le Moyne College. You will eventually be able to read about why I chose to leave Cornell when I write that young adult story. I am a former manager and banker who worked 15 years for the Onondaga Nation and 11 years in the banking industry in Las Vegas, NV and Syracuse, NY. I currently reside at the Onondaga Nation with my partner of 35 years, musician, Dugan Henhawk.