Joanne Shenandoah was an Iroquois singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and climate change activist. She grew up on the Oneida Reservation near Oneida, New York and was given the name Tekaliwhakwah, which translates as "she sings." Her artistry employed a mixture of traditional songs and melodies with a blend of instrumentations. Her work included purely vocal recordings in the Iroquois tongue, contemporary country/folk music with a Native American focus, meditative soundscapes, ambient dance music, as well as many collaborative efforts.