Ty Defoe (giizhig) – he/we – is a citizen of the Oneida and Anishinaabe Nations and a proud member of the Indigiqueer/Two-Spirit community. A Grammy Award-winning interdisciplinary artist, writer, and sovereign story trickster, Ty moves fluidly across mediums and movements. His work has been recognized with fellowships from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, MacDowell, Sundance Institute, and as a Trans Futurist with the Pop Culture Collaborative. Ty is also a recipient of the Jonathan Larson Award, a Grammy Award, and the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award. Ty creates across landscapes—from rural communities to Broadway stages to the metaverse—building relationships that center Indigenous and decolonial futures. He currently serves as Professor of Practice at Arizona State University and Writer-in-Residence at PACE. Deeply rooted in indigi-futurism and cultural traditions, Ty has learned storytelling, hoop dancing, and flute playing from his mentor, the late Kevin Locke. He considers himself a shape-shifter, bending in and out of artistic forms to challenge Western binaries and honor the celestial force of rainbows. Ty loves the color clear and mood rings.

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