Photography by Hannah Manuelito Photo

Mecou,
henegou
D. Daye

Shining my light,

but not afraid of the dark.

Dominique Daye Hunter (Black/Saponi and Nansemond Native American/Irish/Polish) is an Afro-Indigenous storyteller, author, BIWOC advocate, and multi-disciplinary artist who specializes in poetry and streetwear fashion.

The CEO of D. Daye Hunter Designs LLC, her written work and visual art explores the complex connections between history, intergenerational trauma, and healing in Black and Indigenous communities. She uses storytelling to create safe, healing spaces for women, children, neurodivergent folks, and those who are differently abled.

The author and illustrator of “Seeds: Stories of Afro-Indigenous Resilience,” Hunter is a returning Artist Investment Program, (Arizona Commission on the Arts) cohort member for both 2021 and 2022. She is also a member of Unlock Creative's Black Creative Flowers 2020 cohort.

Born and raised in the New York tri-state area, she is a mostly self-taught artist who focused on art studies during her primary education years. She completed a BS from Arizona State University in Nonprofit Leadership Management with an emphasis on American Indian Studies.

Notable publications include:

Seeds: Stories of Afro-Indigenous Resilience. July 2022.
Rural Assembly. Rural Women Everywhere. October 2021.
yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective. Telling Our Own Stories: on Afro-Indigenous Identity. July 2021.
ArtsCan Circle. ArtsCan Connects. September 2020 .
Changing Womxn Collective. I Am. April 2020.
Tea and Bannock. Vulnerability. March 2020.
The bLue Tape EP, July 2019
Lele. Jan. 2017-Dec. 2018

Noteworthy events she has organized and performed at include Inherit the Earth: Art, Activism, and the Land (2014), LuLu: Celebrating the Voices of Black and Indigenous Women of Color (2018) and Elevate Your Mind: Celebrating Minority Graduates (2018).

Dominique performed spoken word poetry, hip-hop, and played a lead role in the play “Native Nation” written by Larissa Fasthorse and directed by Michael Garces of Cornerstone Theatre Company (Los Angeles) and hosted by Arizona State University Gammage. D. Daye Hunter Designs was also represented in the costume design and was one of the select vendors at the showings.

Dominique lives and works between Phoenix, Arizona and her Indigenous ancestral lands of present-day North Carolina.

Administrative Resumé