We have chosen to accompany each poem with artwork from a contemporary Native American artist. Some of these artists are members of the same nation as the person featured in the biographical poem. Their works illustrate contemporary concepts and concerns--many of which are the same as or similar to those of their ancestors. Other poems are accompanied by a Native American artist from another nation whose work connects to the subject of the biography in an important way. Our hope is that these works of art will expand the reader's view of Native American art and reveal how vibrant and significant it is in continuing and reflecting the hopes and struggles of Native Americans today.