Marleah Makpiaq LaBelle is an aspiring screenplay writer of Sugpiaq, Iñupiaq, Dena’ina, and Filipina descent and is a tribal member of the Native Village of Port Graham. In Iñupiaq, Makpiaq, means “to turn pages,” and was named after her paternal grandmother, Clara Makpiaq LaBelle (Hensley). Makpiaq was raised between the urban landscape in Anchorage, Alaska and her mom’s village, Port Graham. Port Graham is a small Sugpiaq village located on the southern tip of the of the Kenai Peninsula – and is full of rich storytelling. In high school and college, she acted in a handful of theater productions and became aware of the lack of accessible Native stories. As a project manager at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, she worked with Tribes throughout Alaska on community water related issues by engaging through cultural values, art, and theater. Makpiaq is currently a small business owner who finds time to pursue her true passions: screenplay writing and standup comedy. Most recently she served as a consultant for the animated show The Great North, and has performed standup at open mics in Anchorage, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. She has a master’s degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in rural development, and a bachelor’s of business administration with a minor in liberal studies from Alaska Pacific University. Makpiaq is a recent alumnus of the Native American Media Alliance Native Writers Seminar (2025), Storyknife Writers Retreat (2024), artEquity’s BIPOC Leadership Circle (2024), and is a recipient of the Alaska Literary Award (2026).