Wakaya Wells is a Two-Spirit Choctaw and was raised in District 8 of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Wakaya first found poetry growing up in a southern baptist church, trying to figure out what it meant to be Queer and Indigenous in the bible belt. Their writing has always come from a place of healing, community, and growth. Wakaya received their BA in Native American Studies from Dartmouth College and their MFA in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts. They live in Minneapolis with their wife, Sara, and 3-year-old ‘bigger kid,’ Taloa. Outside of work, they are either spending time with family and friends or working to complete their debut novel and poetry collection.