Roni Jo Draper

Roni Jo Draper (Yurok | she.her), PhD is an enrolled member of the Yurok tribe, from the village of Weispus (Weitchpec) at the fork of the Klamath and Trinity Rivers in what is now considered Northern California. Her experience as a queer, Yurok woman, and the realities and acute pain of discriminatory practices and policies enacted in school settings, has influenced her writing and work as a teacher, scholar, and artist. As a former high school mathematics/science teacher and university professor, Roni has now turned her attention to storytelling practices outside of traditional academia—including poetry making, traditional basket weaving, and other art forms—as a way to explore the human experience and share stories with others. Roni produced SCENES FROM THE GLITTERING WORLD, stories of three Diné adolescents living on the fringes of the Navajo Nation. She also produced, directed, and wrote FIRE TENDER, a short film highlighting the work of Margo Robbins and Yurok cultural fire practices. Roni’s work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, National Geographic Society, Vision Maker Media, The Redford Center, ITVS, Firelight Media, Women Make Movies, and other organizations interested in highlighting the stories of Indigenous women working to protect the environment and cultural lifeways.