Lorna Maie Thomas is Bear Clan from Akwesasne, and part of the Mohawk Nation. Lorna spent time working as a cultural educator and various museums, within and outside of Akwesasne. Lorna attended the Akwesasne Freedom School, which has informed her cultural knowledge. Thomas graduated from SUNY Potsdam with her B.A. in Women's and Gender Studies, and minored in Museum Studies, Anthropology, and Native Studies. Thomas currently works at two museums; the Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center as an Arts & Archive Assistant, and the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center as a Collections Manager.
Lorna is one of the first artist to workshop the project with the exhibition curators, Blake Lavia and Tzintzun Aguilar-Izzo. In addition, Lorna collaborated in the conceptualization of the quilt made by her grandmother, Iakonikonriiosta, which shares what the Kaniatarowanénhne (St. Lawrence River) would say if they weren't dammed.
