Autumn Cavender

Autumn Cavender is a Wahpetunwan Dakota midwife, artist, and community leader, focusing on the intersections of art, birth, and storytelling.

Raised amidst community historians, she initially focused on Dakota language and cultural revitalization. This background brought a unique perspective to her birth work, first as a doula and then as a student midwife. After establishing a private midwifery practice, Cavender joined forces with Indigenous midwives nationally, culminating in the creation of the National Indigenous Midwifery Alliance (NIMA), geared towards addressing reproductive care barriers and perinatal health disparities in Indian Country.

Her artistic journey began as a porcupine quillwork apprentice, under elder master artists. Rooted in her oral history training, Cavender focused on Dakota artistic methodology, resulting in globally-recognized digital art. Her work graced prestigious exhibitions like Miami Art Basel and earned her the National Indigenous Media Arts Experimental Moving Image Award. She is a 2024 Bush Fellow.

Cavender lives near her home reservation of Upper Sioux with her partner, two kids, a German shepherd, and the occasional chicken.