Joanne Shenandoah

• Genre: Native American

About

Joanne Shenandoah is a member of the Wolf Clan of the Iroquois Confederation-Oneida Nation and a guiding light in contemporary Native American music. Shenandoah's twin loves of music and Iroquois culture started early: her mother was a clan mother and her father was an Onondaga chief and jazz guitarist. Though she played every conceivable instrument as a child, she ended up as a computer programmer in Washington DC. After fourteen years in that environment, Shenandoah underwent an awakening of sorts and began spending more time with the tribal elders, learning her people's stories and songs. This investigation deeply impacted her music -- and in positive ways. The Native American Music Awards named her "Best Female Artist" two years in a row.

- Sarah Bardeen