[1] Savageau was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, but grew up in a small island neighborhood on Lake Quinsigamond in Shrewsbury.
She refers to this lake and her childhood growing up along the shore in her children's book Muskrat Will Be Swimming.
She graduated from Clark University with a Bachelor of Science degree with focus on English and Philosophy.
Poetry and storytelling became Savageau's outlet for sharing stories about her ancestors and her Native culture.
[5][failed verification] Savageau has also won various fellowships for poetry including the Massachusetts Artists Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.