Born:  Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Cumberland County, 1956

My writing career began with how-to articles on art projects and fictional short stories that blossomed into a full-time career with my first full length book.  Since that time I've written over 21 books for Llewellyn World Wide.  Almost twenty years ago, while writing for a local newspaper, I had the opportunity to interview a practicing Braucher (Pow-Wow) by the name of Preston Zerbe.  I was so interested in what Preston had to say, I asked if he would permit me to learn from him.  Imagine my delight when Mr. Zerbe agreed!  I spent a wonderful sun-drenched summer learning the art and science of Braucherei.  Not only did I manage to land a dynamite article, I also gained an entirely new and exciting perception on life. 

Is Braucherei in my blood?  So they say.  According to my Grandfather Samuel Cornelius Baker, my Great, Great Grandmother was a practicing Pow-Wow Artist (Braucher).  My family tree includes Becker (Baker), Knaub, McCormick, Bentz, Leathery, Lau and many more German and Scotch surnames hailing from Lancaster, York, Adams and Cumberland Counties.  George Becker, the first of my father's line to enter Pennsylvania emigrated from a place called Falls of the Rhine, Switzerland/Germany, between 1763 and 1765, and settled near Paradise Township.  From there, the line moved into York and Adams, then finally Cumberland County.   A millwright by trade, George fathered seven children with his second wife, with three of the four sons participating in the Revolutionary War.  Interestingly enough, my husband's ancestors (the Drayer's) helped to establish the Red Church. 

Wife of 30 years, mother of 4 grown children, and grandmother, I have been interviewed by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report and various other newspapers.  I have appeared in television news spots throughout the country and featured on A&E Biography TV.  In the past twenty years I have given hundreds of seminars on Pow-Wow (Braucherei) throughout the US at a variety of venues.

So what makes me an expert on Pow-Wow?  Since my training with Mr. Zerbe I've spent the last nineteen years utilizing Braucherei in my daily life.  I have freely trained many students in Pow-Wow as it was given to me by Preston Zerbe and J.B. (an Amish bred Pow-Wow who continues to practice in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania).  My research is ongoing, collecting additional interviews from both clients and practitioners, as well as spending many hours on-line and at the various local historical societies.  Braucherei in this neck of the woods is an oral tradition, training passed down from person to person by the memorization of chants & charms and their accompanying hand motions.  There is no initiation sequence for a Pow-Wow.  You learn it -- you use it.  What actually makes you a real Pow-Wow is your continuous practice of it, your successes along the way, and the say-so of your clientel.

My Pow-Wow Lineage -- Click Here

My passions include writing, art, photography and research on a variety of topics including Braucherei and genealogy.  Visit my genealogy website at http://www.gravediggersgenealogy.com for additional information on genealogy as well as free .pdf form downloads for your own genealogy projects.