Photo by Mel Ponder. This photo was taken when Sondra Segundo was awarded the Enduring Spirit Award in 2020 from Native Action Network.

Sondra Segundo is a multidisciplinary artist that comes from a long line of Alaskan Haida Raven Clan Matriarchs. She is a regalia maker, traditional and contemporary artist, author and illustrator of children’s books, singer/ songwriter and keeper of ancestral songs.

“Practicing my cultural arts and singing in my Alaskan Haida dialect has opened doors for me to share my passions and healing with others.”

My ancient Haida culture and language is reflected in each of my three children's books. Each book is inspired by an origin story and each book represents a different environment; ocean, sky and land. I descend from the Yahkw ‘Láanaas/Jáanaas Clan; Raven Clan (sky), Two finned Orca Crest (ocean) and Brown Bear House (land).

Multiple generations of Haida have been working hard to restore our precious language. Our three unique dialects, Alaskan, Masset & Skidegate, have been passed down through songs and oral traditions. We recently developed a Haida alphabet and written words.

In this amazing journey of reclaiming our space and undoing the wrongs that have been done to the Indigenous of Turtle Island, I found it both imperative and healing for me to include new songs, composed in my Alaskan Haida dialect for each book. Soon, my dream of having my books translated to Xáad Kíl (Haida Language) will come to pass! As I share my culture with you, I ask that you respect it as that…my culture.

To this day, humans steal our creations and sell it as their own. This is called Cultural Appropriation and is punishable by law as stated here by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Please respect these laws that were put in place to protect our unique Native American/Indigenous/American Indian arts and culture.

Haw’aa (Thank you)

Click to learn more about Sondra’s Book Kúndlaan.