Thirza Defoe is from the Ojibwe and Oneida tribes of Northern Wisconsin and is widely known as a hoop dancer and story teller. Thirza has received recognition in both the native community and throughout the world. She is a graduate of the renowned, California Institute of the Arts receiving her B.F.A. in Theatre, and most recently working on her Master’s Degree and M.F.A. at Goddard College in Vermont, writing.

 

Her dance repertoire consists of: opening ceremonies of the Olympics Games in Barcelona and the Millennium celebration in Cairo, Egypt dancing with the Call for Peace Drum and Dance Company. She has traveled throughout Greece, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Turkey where she performed at the Ankara International Music Festival. Most recently she was a guest artist at the National Museum of the American Indian Celebrating Women series, Identity by Design, in Washington D.C. Most recent past favorites are performing at the festival of World Cultures in Dubai, Saudi Arabia.

 

Her acting credits include the starring role and narrator in the Emmy award winning, People of the Forest (PBS educational documentary) and Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web. Her favorite roles include the portrayal of Sacajawea in the world premiere of Stone Heart at the Autry National Center Native Voices and N.M.A.I. in New York City.

 

Thirza also has principal role in the film, Road Reps, Pow-Wow Dreams, and Burn the Wagons (Sundance initiative,) appearing in The 1 Second Film and Queen of Cactus Cove. Her voice-over work includes the National Radio Theatre projects live radio production of The Best Place to Grow Pumpkins, playing the lead character, Awee’, Peach Seed by Rhiana Yazzie and Native Voices, Super Indian.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She is the proud recipient of the 2007 First American in the Arts Outstanding Performance Award, 2004 First Americans in the Arts Scholarship Award and 2004 Indigenous Heritage Festival Award. This award is given to artists who have made a major positive impact on indigenous people and issues of the world. Recently, Ms. Defoe was awarded as a grantee for the Los Angeles City of Cultural Affairs. Thirza is a devoted mentor and actor for the Young Native Voices, Theatre Education Project and the First Nations Composers Initiative out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

 

Ms. Defoe’s current release’s include: 2009 Grammy award winning album, “Come to Me Great Mystery,” produced by Tom Wasinger at Silverwave Records. She is currently debut her multi-media performance show, “Roots Before Branches” at the National Museum of the American Indian. Thirza co-stars with Wes Studi and Winter Fox Frank in the feature film “The Only Good Indian,” world premiered at the Sundance film festival this past January 2009!

 

RV: Which type of performance do you enjoy the most? Acting, Dancing?
THIRZA: I consider myself an interdisciplinary artist.  I love it all. Film & video production, audio landscaping, singing, acting, dancing, choreography, painting, writing, recycling, and collaborating -absorbing all that I can.  I am into the integral approach of creating art. Integrating is the key to making things have a life and having sustainability. This is how I also feel about my Indigenous roots, heritage, tradition, and culture. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Native culture, history, oral tradition, language, songs, dances, and memories are all integral components. One does not exist without the other. I love to boundary bash, raise questions, awareness, and try new ideas while holding the roots of the where things have started. I also love

to represent and give Native American/Indigenous women a voice.  There is not enough art created about Native American/Indigenous women. By Native American/Indigenous women, I really feel like the time is coming and the beauty and strength of all women but in this case Native American/Indigenous women stories.

I am in a Master’s program now at Goddard College in Vermont, studying writing. It's an intrinsic journey that is making its way outward on the page but also in my everyday life and transitions. Writing is a very contemplative practice to ultimate warrior ship.  

RV: I saw you perform your hoop dance, that had to take a lot of skill and practice? At what age did you begin learning the hoop dance and who taught you?
THIRZA: I started to hoop dance at the age of seven. I was given a lesson by my cousin Roseanne Smart. She is from “way up der” in Northern Wisconsin, where the cold feels like needles poking your skin when the first frost hits.  It is beautiful near the Lake Superior. I danced with a one iron hoop for practice. Only after I learned all the older hoop dance songs could sing them and speak my language could I use the 1 willow hoop that was given to me. I started to meet other hoop dancers and learned from Kevin Locke and Dallas Chief Eagle and I started to mature into a woman -got a lot of discrimination as a female hoop dancer. I kept dancing and never gave up.  Thanks to my mom and aunt who were told me to persevere. I met an elder female hoop dancer from the Oneida reservation, Opal Skenadore.  She gave me pointers about elegance and beauty and matching the strength to power.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Watch Thirza doing her amazing hoop dance”

 

RV: When in your career would you say was a personal moving moment for you?
THIRZA:  A personal “ah-ha” moments happen continually. Artistic expression is always growing and being carved like intricate sculpture. I look at “ah-ha” moments like a diamond. The diamond does not start out as a diamond.  In fact it looks like a dirty rock. It needs to be fired and polished before it can show it’s true colors -in this case it creating art that has honest authentic expression.  This can be a very scary, vulnerable thing but also very freeing.

RV: What is your outlook on life?
THIRZA: Life is ever changing and growing. We all can learn from it. Take moments to be in the moment, to be present.  This will make life seem less hectic and really help your mind and heart intertwine.  Your spirit will be they’re riding along with you. Be compassionate to others and to yourself. Practice love and kindness.

RV: What are some of the fallbacks that you've experienced in your life that you've experienced in your career?
THIRZA: Fall backs in my life, was attaching to fear, Attaching to my own thoughts and self critic. We all have them. . . I also learn from them.  Fear and the self-critic all come from our shadows.  You cannot have light with out dark. They coincide with each other. So fall backs are really needed. 

RV: What is most sacred to you?
THIRZA: Most sacred to me is this precious human life.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RV: Other than being a performer, what do you think you might have been doing or would have wanted to do if you weren't doing what you are doing now?
THIRZA: I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love what I do and would love to do more of it.

RV: I read some rave reviews about your participation in Charlotte’s Web theatrical play, and found the following comment about your performance: “This portrayal of Charlotte's Web at First Stage was the more interesting and magical that I have ever seen, and I have seen theatre from both sides of the Mississippi”. Is doing theater something you enjoy?
THIRZA: I love to play.

RV: What projects are you currently working on and what other opportunities if given the chance would you like to be a part of?

THIRZA:  Current production, Drum is the Thunder, Flute is the Wind is a nationally touring show fusing traditional Native American dance and song with contemporary music, theatre, and dance elements. It has been awarded the prestigious American Masterpieces: Dance grant for excellence in traditional /contemporary crossover dance. Funded by National Endowment for the Arts, the project is administered through New England Foundation for the Arts. I would love to work with David Lynch. 

 

I would like to express my my sincere thanks and gratitude to Thirza for sharing her time with Native Digest despite her busy schedule. Thank you my friend it has been a true honor for me. Please visit Thirza’s website  by clicking here.