Childree, stepdaughter of wrestler/booker "Dirty" Dick Barkley, debuted on New Year's Day, 1976, participating in a ten-woman battle royal at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia.

[1] She began her wrestling career as "Winona Littleheart" with the standard "Native American" gimmick, including a fringe vest and feather in her hair.

For the next several years, she would cut her teeth in various NWA territories such as Tampa, New York, Amarillo, Hawaii, Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Houston, St. Louis, Nashville, Atlanta, Knoxville, Dallas, Kansas City, Calgary, and Memphis.

As "Princess Little Heart", she was awarded the NWA United States Women's Championship in October 1980, before losing to the title to Judy Martin.

As the Florida territory started to wind down, Luna and Lock hit the independent circuit and won the World Tag Team title for the short lived Women's Championship Wrestling (based in Las Vegas, the predecessor to LPWA).