amber l. duboise-shepherd Although born in Shawnee, DuBoise-Shepherd moved with her parents to the Navajo Reservation in Arizona until she was about 昀椀ve, at which time the family returned to Shawnee. Her mother, who is 昀氀uent in Navajo, always has been academically driven and that prompted DuBoise-Shepherd toward her higher education. Her dad is semi-昀氀uent in Sauk and Potawatomi, and plays Native American 昀氀ute. “I grew up knowing various phrases and terms,” DuBoise-Shepherd said. “I learned how to say my native name in Sac & Fox, and all my clans in Navajo.” Both sides of DuBoise-Shepherd’s family worked in traditional Native art forms, and she grew up around them as they created their works. “From my mother’s family, who live on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, we would arrive from Oklahoma hrough mixed media pieces, oil paint, pen and to visit them, and I remember seeing my grandmother ink, markers, water color, typography, and digital, and grandfather working in their silversmithing shop, TAmber L. DuBoise-Shepherd depicts contemporary polishing and cutting stones, and working with silver,” Native American narratives based on her family heritage DuBoise-Shepherd said. “I grew up around my Navajo of Diné (Navajo), Sac & Fox, and Prairie Band Potawatomi. great-grandmother as well, and I remember her weaving Designs from Diné textiles, and woodland ribbon work her rugs on a loom while sitting on the 昀氀oor. I made and beadwork also inform her art. She bridges traditional one rug with her and she showed me how to create the Native subjects with modern, contemporary styles. weaving. I remember sitting in her lap and the smell of the wool.” ELEVATE Amber L. DuBoise-Shepherd 4