Thirza Defoe (Giizhig), is from the Ojibwe and Oneida tribes of Northern Wisconsin, is widely known as a hoop dancer and storyteller. Thirza’s many years as an accomplished dancer, storyteller, and cultural educator have awarded her recognition in both the native community and throughout the world. Thirza is a graduate of the renowned, California Institute of the Arts receiving her B.F.A., and most recently working on her Master’s Degree and M.F.A. at Goddard College in Vermont, writing and currently enrolled in the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.

Thirza’s dance repertoire consists of: opening ceremonies of the Olympics Games in Barcelona and the Millennium celebration in Cairo, Egypt dancing with the Call for Peace Drum and Dance Company and The Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble.  Thirza has traveled throughout Greece, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Turkey where she performed at the Ankara International Music Festival. Most recently she was a guest artist at the National Museum of the American Indian Celebrating Women series, Identity by Design, in Washington D.C.  Past favorites are performing at the festival of World Cultures in Dubai.

Some credits include the starring role and narrator in the Emmy award winning, People of the Forest (PBS educational documentary) and Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web.  Favorite roles include the portrayal of Sacajawea in the world premiere of Stone Heart at the Autry National Center Native Voices and N.M.A.I. in New York City.  Thirza also has principal role in the film, Road Reps, Pow-Wow Dreams, and Burn the Wagons (Sundance Initiative,) appearing in The 1 Second Film and Queen of Cactus Cove.   Her voice-over work includes the National Radio Theatre projects live radio production of The Best Place to Grow Pumpkins, playing the lead character, Awee’, Peach Seed by Rhiana Yazzie and Native Voices, Super Indian.

A proud recipient of the 2007 First American in the Arts Outstanding Performance Award, 2004 First Americans in the Arts Scholarship Award and 2004 Indigenous Heritage Festival Award.  This award is given to artists who have made a major positive impact on indigenous people and issues of the world. Recently, Ms. Defoe was awarded as a grantee for the Los Angeles City of Cultural Affairs. Thirza is a devoted mentor and actor for the Young Native Voices, Theatre Education Project and the First Nations Composers Initiative out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Defoe’s current release’s include: 2009 Grammy award winning album, “Come to Me Great Mystery,” produced by Tom Wasinger at Silverwave Records. Currently debut her multi-media performance show, “Roots Before Branches” at the National Museum of the American Indian.  Thirza was recently  nominated for Best Supporting Actor by the American Indian Film Institute 2009 for the portrayal of Sally, a boarding school run-a-way in the film “The Only Good Indian.” Thirza co-stars with Wes Studi and Winter Fox Frank in this feature film that premiered at the Sundance film festival.