Aanii. Boozhoo.
‍ Hello.

Ishpiming Migizi Kwe Nidizhinikaaz
I am Julie Buchholtz or High Flying Eagle Woman.

Gnoozhekaaning Nindonjibaa
My home is called the Place of the Pike.

Migizi Nidoodehm
I am Eagle Clan.

I am fortunate to live along the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where the presence of nature grounds and sustains me. I feel most connected when I stand on the same earth my ancestors walked before me. I am a proud member of the Bay Mills Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

My inaugural book, Who Am I, published by Sleeping Bear Press/Cherry Lake Publishing, was selected as a 2021 Own Voices/Own Stories Winner. Writing Who Am I took me on a journey of self-discovery—a coming home to my Indigenous roots. It is a story about connection: to one another and to Mother Earth. In it, a little brown-skinned girl asks her mama a question we all carry within us: “Who am I?” Her mama gently pulls her close and explains how she is connected to all of creation—the plants, the animals, and the living world around her. In the end, the girl comes to understand her own significance and realizes she is not so little after all.

My second book, Mama’s Song, serves as a prequel to Who Am I and led me further along the path of embracing my Indigenous heritage.
It tells the story of the little girl’s birth and a mother’s deep gratitude to the Creator for such a gift. Mama’s Song reflects a mother’s wish for her daughter to live the “good life,” or mino-bimaadiziwin. Through this story, readers are introduced to the Seven Grandfather Teachings of Wisdom, Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Humility, and Truth.

Chi Miigwech for stopping by my website.

Julie Buchholtz