Joanne Shenandoah was a renowned Native American musician, singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, widely regarded as one of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed Native American musicians of her time, as proclaimed by the Associated Press. A multiple award winner, including a Grammy, she was also considered an Ambassador of Peace, and her music was a testament to her deep connection to her Iroquois heritage.
Born into a family of musicians, Joanne was the daughter of Clifford Shenandoah, a chief of the Onondaga Nation and a jazz guitarist, and Maisie Shenandoah, a Oneida clan mother. Growing up on the Oneida reservation in New York, Joanne was immersed in music and singing from a young age. However, she initially pursued a career in computer systems architectural engineering, working for fourteen years before discovering her true calling as a musician through her people's songs and stories.
Joanne's unique style blended traditional Native American songs with new age, western, and pop influences, featuring her lovely, clear voice, which has been described as "Native American trance." She was a master of several instruments, including the acoustic guitar, piano, and flute.
Throughout her career, Joanne performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world, including the White House, Carnegie Hall, and Madison Square Garden. She also opened the Woodstock and Earth Day concerts in Washington D.C. in 1994. Her original compositions have been featured in several documentaries and the acclaimed TV series Northern Exposure, and she was a guest artist on the CD-ROM video game version of The Indian in the Cupboard.
Joanne was a prolific recording artist, releasing numerous albums throughout her career, and she was a winner of fourteen "Nammys" (Native American Music Awards). She was also the recipient of the inaugural Atlas Award in 2012 for her contribution to the climate change movement.
