Kaasteen, S’xeinda.at (Katelynn Drake) is a Tlingit writer and artist from Hoonah, Alaska. She is of the eagle moiety, Chookaneidí clan and from Naanaa Hít. She is a grand-daughter of the T’akdeintaan clan and on her father’s side, she is a daughter of the Inupiaq people.

She is currently working on a Tlingit young adult high fantasy novel.

Kaasteen graduated from Washington State University in 2020 with her BAF in Creative Writing, along with a certificate in Editing and Publishing.

In 2022, she obtained her Masters in Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing from Emerson College.

She is a writer, editor, and digital artist with a focus on NWC Formline Design.

Her goal as an artist is to see herself reflected in her work and to increase representation for others like her.

“I grew up on stories. They are ingrained into who I am and who we are as a Tlingit people. I learned about how Raven stole the sun, how my namesake laid down her life in Glacier Bay to save everyone, and what my great grandma went through at the boarding schools. My art is inspired and fueled by my culture. Traditional Tlingit narratives reimagined and conceptualized in new ways. My work often stands as an analogy for issues facing Native Americans. These themes serve to engage thought about the cultural disconnect and erasure we have experienced through forced assimilation all while utilizing Tlingit stories and language.”