Why We Dance

Deidre Havrelock is a member of Saddle Lake Cree Nation. She grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, with a ghost in her house, a feminist for a grandma, and wishing she had a buffalo for a pet! Her debut picture book, Buffalo Wild! (Annick Press), was hailed as an "exuberant celebration." Her forthcoming books include the picture books Buffalo: The Enduring Story of Buffalo and the First Peoples of North America (Holiday House, Summer 2023) and The Heartbeat Drum (Abrams BYR, Fall 2024), as well as a middle-grade nonfiction book about Indigenous ingenuity, co-authored with Edward Kay (Little, Brown, Spring 2023). She currently resides in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Aly McKnight is a self-taught watercolor artist and illustrator whose art features vibrant colors and Indigenous stories. An enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe who grew up in a small farming community in Northern Nevada, McKnight is inspired by her own experiences, family, friends, and community. Her passion to create is rooted in the hope that when Indigenous peoples, especially womxn and youth, need to feel connected and grounded, they have visual imagery to turn to that makes them feel seen and powerful. She currently lives in Utah with her husband Brockton, of Hawaiian/Samoan descent, their daughter, Paoakalani, and Pomeranian dog, Bella. Visit her on Instagram @alymcknight.