Violet

Duncan

Children’s & Middle Grade Author

Educator, Dancer & Storyteller

Travels from: Phoenix, AZ

“Drawing inspiration from her own family’s experiences, Duncan (Kehewin Cree/Taino) tells the story of an Indigenous girl who confronts hard truths one summer. . . . Duncan shines a light on a devastating aspect of Indigenous history, never sugarcoating the topic yet leaving readers with hope.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Violet Duncan is a Plains Cree and Taino author, educator, dancer, storyteller, cultural consultant, and creative leader from Kehewin Cree Nation. An award-winning and bestselling author, Violet has spent more than three decades sharing Indigenous stories, teachings, dance, and creative practices with audiences across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Violet brings warmth, energy, and lived experience to every presentation. Her work explores Indigenous storytelling, culture and identity, creativity, wellness, connection to land, intergenerational knowledge, and the power of the arts to build understanding and community. Whether speaking to students, educators, families, professionals, or community audiences, she creates engaging, accessible experiences that invite participants to listen, learn, reflect, and connect.

At the heart of Violet’s work is the teaching that Indigenous stories carry love, teachings, and responsibilities. Stories connect generations, carry cultural knowledge forward, and help us understand our relationships with one another and with the land. These teachings are woven throughout her books, keynote presentations, workshops, storytelling programs, online courses, and community engagements.

Violet is the author of the acclaimed middle-grade novel Buffalo Dreamer, a 2024 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature finalist, American Indian Youth Literature Award winner, and Reading the West Book Award winner. She is also the author of I Am Native, When We Dance, and Let’s Hoop Dance!, with her forthcoming picture book, Where the Wind Blows, releasing in Spring 2027.

As Creative Director of Young Warriors, Violet is dedicated to cultivating spaces where Indigenous performance, cultural practices, creativity, and wellness can thrive. She has extensive experience working with Indigenous communities, schools, libraries, universities, festivals, educators, youth, and professional audiences, and brings a strong understanding of traditional protocols, cultural engagement, and respectful community collaboration.

Violet is available for keynote presentations, author visits, cultural presentations, storytelling performances, professional development, writing workshops, hoop dance workshops, educator sessions, youth programs, and community events. Her presentations can be tailored for specific ages, audiences, themes, and event goals.

With her dynamic combination of storytelling, movement, cultural knowledge, education, and lived experience, Violet creates presentations that are not simply heard—they are experienced.

Violet's Featured Titles

Where the Wind Blows

Nancy Paulsen Books |

February 9, 2027

Children’s

Join Southwind on an exhilarating journey across a magnificent land and see how we are all a part of something bigger!

When Starboy notices the wind carrying the sweet scent of his mother’s favorite flower, he asks the Southwind where she has been. So many places, Southwind says, and happily begins to recount all the wonderous places she wafted through on her long journey north before drifting into a valley in the land of Starboy’s people. By the time Southwind finishes her tale, Starboy has just enough time to pick some flowers for his mom, give thanks to Mother Earth and the wind, and set off for home with dreams of traveling to all the places the wind has blown.

Violet Duncan’s vivid text and Steph Littlebird’s luminous art beautifully capture the exuberant spirit of the wind and remind us that we are all connected.

BIPOC Representation, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers, Native American & Indigenous Heritage, Natural World

Buffalo Dreamer

Nancy Paulsen Books |

August 27, 2024

Middle Grade

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

An illuminating novel about the importance of reclaiming the past, based on the author’s family history

Summer and her family always spend relaxed summers in Alberta, Canada, on the reservation where her mom’s family lives. But this year is turning out to be an eye-opening one. First, Summer has begun to have vivid dreams in which she’s running away from one of the many real-life residential schools that tore Native children from their families and tried to erase their Native identities. Not long after that, she learns that unmarked children’s graves have been discovered at the school her grandpa attended as a child. Now more folks are speaking up about their harrowing experiences at these places, including her grandfather. Summer cherishes her heritage and is heartbroken about all her grandfather was forced to give up and miss out on. When the town holds a rally, she’s proud to take part to acknowledge the painful past and speak of her hopes for the future, and anxious to find someone who can fill her in on the source of her unsettling dreams.

BIPOC Representation, Class & Economic Inequality, Friendship & Community, Grief & Loss, Historical Fiction, History & Biography, Kid-Lit: Middle Grade, Native American & Indigenous Heritage

I am Native

Young Warriors Books |

January 1, 2020

Children’s

I am Native, shares a glimpse into the wonderful world of a multigenerational Native family. This book showcases beautiful imagery of family members passing down traditions in both traditional and modern ways.

BIPOC Representation, Friendship & Community, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers, Native American & Indigenous Heritage

Indigenous Storytelling & Culture

Stories Carry Teachings: The Power & Responsibility of Indigenous Storytelling A keynote or featured presentation exploring how Indigenous stories carry knowledge, values, history, identity, and responsibilities across generations. Violet shares how storytelling connects people to community, culture, and land—and why the way we tell and receive stories matters.
Best for: Conferences, universities, educators, libraries, cultural organizations, community events.

Storytelling as a Way of Knowing An engaging introduction to Indigenous approaches to storytelling and knowledge-sharing. Violet explores story as a living practice that can teach, connect, heal, inspire creativity, and strengthen relationships.
Best for: Universities, teacher education programs, professional development, conferences.

Writing From Who You Are: Identity, Culture & Finding Your Voice An inspiring author presentation and writing session encouraging young people to explore identity, lived experience, imagination, and the stories they carry. Violet shows students how personal experiences can become powerful creative work.
Best for: Grades 4–12, writing programs, English/language arts, libraries.

Listen to the Land: Nature, Story & Connection A presentation centered on the relationship between people, land, animals, weather, seasons, and story. Violet explores how paying attention to the natural world can deepen creativity, cultural understanding, and a sense of responsibility.
Best for: Elementary schools, environmental programs, libraries, museums, festivals.

School & Student Audiences

Buffalo Dreamer: Stories, Survival & the Strength of Culture Inspired by Violet’s award-winning novel Buffalo Dreamer, this presentation explores resilience, family, cultural knowledge, connection to land, and the importance of listening to the teachings carried through generations.
Best for: Grades 5–12, school assemblies, author visits, libraries, Native American studies programs.

Educator & Professional Development

Teaching Through Indigenous Storytelling A professional-development session helping educators understand how Indigenous storytelling can be approached respectfully and meaningfully in educational settings. Violet shares practical strategies for bringing story, culture, land, and relationship into the classroom.
Best for: K–12 educators, school districts, librarians, teacher education programs.

Beyond the Book: Creating Meaningful Indigenous Learning Experiences Designed for educators, librarians, and organizations working with Indigenous literature and cultural content. Violet discusses moving beyond simply reading an Indigenous-authored book toward creating meaningful opportunities for learning, reflection, relationship, and action.
Best for: Schools, libraries, universities, conferences.

Cultural, Dance & Experiential Presentations

Dance Is Story: Movement, Culture & Community A dynamic presentation exploring how movement communicates stories, teachings, identity, celebration, and connection. Violet combines storytelling and dance to create an immersive experience.
Best for: Assemblies, festivals, conferences, universities, community events.

Hoop Dancing: Storytelling Through Movement An engaging introduction to hoop dancing that explores the history, meaning, movement, symbolism, and storytelling possibilities of the dance. Can be presented as a demonstration, performance, or interactive workshop.
Best for: Schools, libraries, festivals, museums, community events.

Wellness, Connection & Community

Stories That Connect Us: Culture, Community & Wellbeing Explores the role of culture, storytelling, movement, relationships, and community in creating spaces of belonging and connection.
Best for: Universities, conferences, educators, community organizations, youth programs.

“Violet Duncan was absolutely amazing. Our students from Kindergarten to 8th graders were completely captivated by her storytelling.” — Polytechnic School, 2025

“An important middle grade novel about a family reunion, as well as the histories of the Indian residential schools that were set up across the U.S. and Canada. . . . Based on Duncan’s family history, this novel balances an exploration of a painful events with idyllic scenes of intergenerational love and connection. Beautiful descriptions of traditional Native American culture and dress make scenes vivid for readers as Summer’s family rides horses, picks berries, prepares meals, and shares stories, even ones that have remained unspoken. A powerful addition to all middle grade library shelves highlighting a time in history that has been hidden and often forgotten in both Canada and the U.S.” — School Library Journal, starred review

“Past and present converge in Duncan’s novel about an extended Canadian Cree family spending vacation time together. . . . This story of maturation and involvement in community will appeal to readers interested in the past and in present-day social action.” — Booklist

“Summer is earnest, thoughtful, and unfailingly kind . . . the perfect narrator to introduce a heavy topic that is underexplored in literature for youth. For readers unfamiliar with the schools, enough context is given to understand the immense evil of a system that ripped Indigenous children away from their families to essentially abuse them into being acceptably ‘standard.’ Duncan’s powerful afterward offers a brief description of how her own family survived the harrowing experience of the residential school system, ending the book with a poignant sense of intimacy.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Plains Cree and Taino author Duncan juxtaposes Summer’s intense dreams with the low-conflict nature of her everyday life, which includes detailed descriptions of Native traditions such as picking sweetgrass, making for a brief look into Indigenous customs and history.” — Publishers Weekly

Violet’s Shop Link

Honors, Awards & Recognition

BUFFALO DREAMER – American Indian Youth Literature Award
BUFFALO DREAMER is the 2025 Winner of Reading the West, in Young People’s Literature
BUFFALO DREAMER – Finalist for the 2024 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature
I AM NATIVE – 2020 Finalist International Book Award