Lily Painter

Ah-Kee-Hap-Pbay [“ah-key-hop-bay”] (Cute Flower Girl in the Kiowa language) is an actress, writer, activist, video/filmmaker and current freshman at the University of Oklahoma, pursing a degree in Native American Studies and Anthropology. During her senior year at Anadarko High School in Oklahoma, she was the class valedictorian and a recipient of the Scholastic Writing Award, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, for the excellence and writing of her personal essay & memoir titled, “I Am Not a Dead Piece of History.”

Last summer, she was selected to participate in Columbia University’s prestigious creative writing course program. Lily believes her heritage and the roots of her foundation as a young Indigenous woman are powerful and will strengthen her voice to allow her to speak out on the challenges that impact her community and bring awareness and education about Indigenous culture as well as mainstream issues. Lily is grateful and honored to be chosen as a 2022 Remembering our Sisters fellow through the Center for Native American Youth and congratulates other fellows as well.

About Lily’s Project, Matriarch Medicine 

Born out of the MMIWG2S+ movement, Matriarch Medicine is a collection of love for Native women and femmes who are here, a means of carrying on the love for those who are not, and a space for healing and homage to our MMIWG2S+ relatives.