Ty Defoe facts for kids

Ty Defoe is an amazing artist, activist, and writer. He is from the Ojibwe and Oneida communities. He lives in New York and uses his art to share important messages.

Ty grew up in Wisconsin. He learned about his Ojibwe and Oneida heritage there. Ty is also "two-spirit". This is a special term used by many Native American nations. It means someone has a fluid gender identity. It can also mean they have non-traditional gender roles. Ty started performing when he was very young. He learned to hoop dance as a toddler. He still hoop dances in his shows today. He also does eagle dancing, puppetry, and other art forms.

With Larissa Fasthorse, a Lakota playwright, Ty started Indigenous Direction. This company helps groups and people create accurate work. They focus on projects by, for, and with Indigenous peoples.

Ty Defoe's Career and Achievements

Ty Defoe has studied at several universities. He works with Indigenous groups. These include the Alaska Native Heritage Center. He also helps the Hawaiian Playwrights Initiative. Ty is part of the youth council for the East Coast Two-Spirit Society.

He won a Grammy award for his music. It was for the album Come to Me Great Mystery: Native American Healing Songs. This album features many Native American musicians. Ty is also a member of the Dramatists Guild of America. This is a group for playwrights and composers.

Ty Defoe's Theatre Work

Ty Defoe has written, produced, and performed in many plays. Some of his theatre works include Clouds are Pillows for the Moon and In the Cards. He also worked on Heather Henson's Flight: A Crane’s Story and Tick, Tick. Another play he worked on is Honor +Family.

In June 2018, Ty performed on Broadway. He was in the play Straight White Men by Young Jean Lee. He played a character who was an "interlocutor of indeterminate gender." This means a person who helps guide the conversation. Ty is also featured in a book called 50 Key Figures in Queer US Theatre. A theatre expert named Courtney Elkin Mohler wrote about him in the book.

List of Theatre Works