Maaliyah Papillion is a Creole and Indigenous actress, singer, model, director, and third-generation healer from a long line of Indigenous leaders. She’s a master’s student in the MLS Indigenous Law program at the University of Oklahoma and an enthusiastic council member of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation of Southwest Louisiana. She is also the owner of Chrysalis Transformative Healing, a wellness-focused collective that specializes in teaching emotional regulation techniques with an emphasis on self-care.
Her film Išhak (2024), and debut poetry book Feathers, Fledglings and Flight (2026) focuses on retelling her ancestors’ stories in modern ways.
Ms. Papillion from the website of NOVAC, Community Filmmaker Cohort
