Donna Nary is the product of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story — but one with a happy ending. Her mother was a Cherokee with a traditional enmity against the Sioux tribe. But one day, Donna’s mother-to-be met a handsome Sioux at a powwow, and the two of them ran away to be married.
Donna’s art explores the junction of Native American tradition with her own artistic vision. Like many artists, she likes to include symbolism and stories in her work, giving each piece of art a hidden message. Many of her recent pieces explore her feelings about the Trail of Tears and other examples of the pain and suffering Native Americans went through as Europeans settled North America. Other pieces are based on her connection to the earth.