She was the first Native American artist to have a painting acquired by the National Gallery of Art. She was one of the United States' most prominent Native artists, using Indigenous images and motifs as well as modern art techniques. She sometimes created works using photographs, wire mesh, muslin, chains, or Indian-themed objects such as toy tomahawks and a Washington Redskins cap and pennant. She was a Salish member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, with Métis-Cree and Shoshone lineage. She received a bachelor's degree in art education from Framingham State College in Massachusetts, and a master's degree in visual arts from the University of New Mexico.
