Michael Sheyahshe-Lell was born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma and is a member of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma. He has previously been appointed as one of the Tax Commissioners of the Caddo Nation. In May 2003 he received two degrees, both cum laude, from the University of Oklahoma: one in Native American Studies (BA) and another in Film and Video Studies (BA). Michael is a Gates Millennium Scholar, a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, and is a member of both the Alpha Lambda Delta and Gamma Beta Phi honor fraternities. He has presented papers at the University of Columbia, Missouri, the University of North Texas, and the University of Oklahoma. Michael has been published in Illusions magazine, “New Zealand moving image and performing arts criticism” and in Trauma Magazine a “European movie magazine entirely dedicated to the fantastic world of horror, science fiction and fantasy.” He has held internships with the University of Oklahoma’s Center for Student Life and with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History’s in Washington, DC. Michael has served as Project Coordinator for Oklahoma’s Red Earth Film Festival 2000, established the Indigenous Film Series (IFS), and the Festival of Indigenous Visual Entertainment (FIVE), both at the University of Oklahoma. He has conducted interviews with many artistic members of the film and comic book community including: Chris Eyre (director of Smoke Signals), Tim Truman (creator/writer/artist for Scout), Alvin Schwartz (writer for Tomahawk from the 1940s), Terry LaBan (creator/writer/artist for Muktuk Wolfsbreath), Steve Englehart (creator/writer/artist for Coyote), John Ostrander (writer for Blaze of Glory), Rachel Pollack (creator/writer for Vertigo’s Tomahawk), Jon Proudstar (creator/writer for Tribal Force), and Mike Grell (creator/writer/artist for Shaman’s Tears).