Maria DesJarlait

Cultural Connections: Arikara tribe/ Ojibwe

Home Base: Illinois, US

Maria DesJarlait hails from the Arikara tribe of the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota and carries the rich heritage of Ojibwe from Red Lake, Minnesota. She is the proud granddaughter of the late Myrtle Eva Starr and the late Laverne DesJarlait, as well as the daughter of Peggy Ann DesJarlait.

Raised on her ancestral land, Maria pursued her aspirations in the vibrant city of Chicago, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and English as a Second Language. Now a dedicated preschool teacher in Illinois, she has recognized a significant need for literature that reflects the experiences of contemporary Native American children. Through her heartfelt writing, she weaves together stories from her experiences with her grandmother and daughters, inspiring Native American youth to dream big.