Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (her last name rhymes with "navy") was born on February 21st and raised on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. Her father was an Episcopal minister and her mother was an active member of their community. Sneve was an English teacher, a school counselor, and is a renowned author of children's and adult books. Her first book, Jimmy Yellow Hawk, was published in 1972. It won the Native American category in a contest sponsored by the Interracial Council of Minority Books for Children. She has received the South Dakota Living Indian Treasure Award, an honorary doctorate from Dakota Wesleyan University, and many human rights awards from organizations such as the National Education Association. She was a National Humanities medalist in 2000. "Her fiction has focused on the lives of contemporary Lakota youth, and has been praised for addressing issues such as the stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans in films and the continuing value of Native traditions in the modern world." Ms. Sneve lives in Rapid City with her husband. They have three children and several grandchildren.