Rhiana Yazzie

From 2000 to 2002 she attended the University of Southern California and earned a master's degree in professional writing.

She moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota for Playwrights' Center Fellowship, calling the city a "Mecca for Native arts, writing, [and] culture.

"[6] Yazzie started NNT to connect the 100+ theaters in town and the large urban native community.

As the head of one of the few Native theater companies in the United States, Yazzie has expressed that her work can be isolating.

[7] However, she recognizes the importance of the NNT company in helping herself and other Natives creatively find their place in the world through classes and shows.