Joanne Shenandoah was a citizen of the Oneida Nation, Wolf Clan, of the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations Iroquois) Confederacy in upstate New York. Her sister says the Schenandoahs are direct descendents of Chief Skenandoa (there are various spellings of the name — some family members now spell it with a "c" and some have chosen to drop it), an ally to George Washington during the American Revolution.

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Her story is an introduction into the richness of Native cultures. Shenandoah's music covered an array of traditional, folk, Americana, pop, country and even New Age, performed in both English and her native language. Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) history and culture was present throughout her music. Her 2004 album Peacemaker's Journey is about the legend of Skennanrahowi and how he brought peace to the warring tribes that became their confederacy sometime between the 15th and 16th centuries. It won five awards from the Native American Music Awards (NAMMYs) and other Native music groups.

When she began her musical career, her songs and stories were efforts to help transform the hundreds of years of marginalization of First Nations peoples. Every breath she took, every song she sang was her way of saying, "HERE WE ARE."

Shenandoah embodied the full meaning of the traditional name she received as a child, "Tekaliwhakwah," which translates to "she sings, and lifts the spirit." Her voice was often described as angelic and enchanting. After recording a track for Robbie Robertson's Contact From the Underworld of Redboy, he said, "She weaves you into a trance with her beautiful Iroquois chants and wraps her voice around you like a warm blanket on a cool winter's night." She was often accompanied on vocals by her daughter Leah Shenadoah and sister Diane Schenandoah.

Native American, Traditional, Folk, Country, Americana, New Age

Musician, songwriter,

Guitar, Hand Drum, Vocals