Fire
Life begins in The East... a time of renewal where we learn values and connectedness to all. Love, Truthfulness and Courage make an imprint during this time of Spring, and the supreme Eagle watches over and guides us through great spiritual challenges.
Behind the name are several meanings, depending on the country of origin. From the Greek Helene, meaning "light" or "moon".
Likewise, its Helios, meaning refers to the "sun", and from Hawaii or Polynesia it is a reference to a lavender flower. However, amongst all of the translations, she received the highest blessing from a Mohawk Elder's translation and interpretation: K A T S I T S I A H A W I (G A-- G I -J A- H A WEE)
An Eastern Tsalagi-Algonquin descendant of Elsie and Betsy, respectively, who curates Native American public programs, spotlighting traditional and contemporary Indigenous artists titled "Beyond the Oak Tree Treaty.
Publicly launched into the art of spoken word, she shares her inherited diary of published poems, "Reflections of a Whispering Dove," gifted by Def Poetry Jam founder Danny Simmons (now a permanent volume of the Schomberg Center for Research). Likewise, she frequently appears as a keynote speaker presenting newly written and historical material aimed at broadening the myopic perspective of contemporary Native Americans, imagining a new reverence for life beyond the reservation.
Lending her image as a Native American Advocate, Educator and Historical Consultant, Oleana's recently debuted portrait as the Tsalagi Water Spider instates her legacy intrinsic to the newly expanded exhibition by award-winning photographer Lisa Levart.