Mildred A. Schuman is a member of the Ojibwe Nation of Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin. Mildred is a free verse poet whose work is established in Native American heritage, but is related and relevant to all walks of life - the pathways of travel on Mother Earth. She is a creative writing graduate (AFA degree) from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Mildred is a graduate from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire: Elementary Teaching Degree License Wisconsin/Indian Language May 2002. She is an Ojibwe elder in the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa of Northern Wisconsin, and is also known as Migizikwe -Eagle Woman. She is deeply respected within the Ojiwe Nation as a Woman Pipe Carrier, Sweat Lodge Leader, Jingle Dress Dancer, ceremonial Sundancer, and Moon Dancer, as well as healer, poet, and artist. Schuman is also a water walker. In recent years, she organized the “Water Ways Walk” to raise awareness of Mother Earth’s Blood - the water, both for the Lac Du Flambeau community and for the surrounding communities of Vilas County, Wisconsin, a region with the highest density of lakes in the world.

Tinker is the published co-author of The Healing Blanket (1989) and author of the poetry collection Ba Bii Dwe Win – Sounds of Living (2021). She is also the composer of Ninagamo, a collection of spirit-inspired songs that came through her. Tinker has traveled nationally and internationally, sharing her gifts and educating others about her culture.