Wicanhpi Iyotan Win Autumn Cavender is a Wahpetuwan Dakota from the Pezihutazizi K’api (Upper Sioux) Community, with a passion for storytelling and writing. With a background in decolonization theory and the Dakota language, she is a respected educator, lecturer, artist, and writer, always seeking to make an impact in midwifery, education, and the arts.
Cavender’s deep understanding of traditional Dakota practices and her mastery of artistic storytelling has led her to become a founding member of the National Indigenous Midwifery Alliance. Through her work as a midwife, artist, and writer, she has been able to communicate and promote the beauty and resilience of indigenous birthing practices as the foundation for cultural revitalization more broadly.
Cavender’s artistic work has been displayed globally, including in Calgary, New York City, Miami Art Basel, Lisbon, and Milan, and she is a regular presenter on the application of Indigenous artistic methodology to contemporary and digital mediums. As a LIFT Emerging Native Artists fellow and a Native American Artist-in-Residence at the Minnesota Historical Society, she has received recognition for her groundbreaking work in digital and generative art.
Recently, Cavender has been experimenting with screenwriting, with one of her script treatments in consideration for the semi-finals for the Screencraft 2023 ScreenCraft True Story & Public Domain Competition. Her love of books, combined with her cultural knowledge and storytelling expertise, has led her to pursue writing as a way to continue sharing important stories.
Cavender lives with her partner, two sons, and a German Shepherd who thinks she’s a lap dog. Her passion for promoting social justice, cultural awareness, and preserving indigenous cultures continues to drive her work, always seeking new ways to use storytelling to build community.