Maud Oakes

Maud Oakes (1903–1990) was an artist, ethnologist and writer who spent her life studying and recording the indigenous cultures of Native American tribes, including the Navajo of the American Southwest and the Mam of Guatemala.

She is best known for her books recording these tribes' ceremonies, art and stories. These include Where the Two Came to Their Father: A Navaho War Ceremony (given by Jeff King, with commentary by Joseph Campbell), The Two Crosses of Todos Santos: Survivals of Mayan Religious Ritual and Beyond the Windy Place--Life in the Guatemalan Highlands.

Oakes was born in Seattle and grew up in New York City, where she attended Miss Chapin's School, graduating in 1922.