Elaine Miles

Elaine Miles is a Native American actress best known for her role as Marilyn Whirlwind in the television series Northern Exposure. She's an enrolled citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Early life
Elaine Miles was born in Pendleton, Oregon, on April 7, 1960. She is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation with Cayuse/Nez Perce ancestry. She lived on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Eastern Oregon until age three. Her family then moved to Renton, Washington, where her father was a Boeing machinist.

She learned skills and Indigenous art techniques skills in her youth, such as storytelling, beading, pottery and weaving, and she is a prize-winning powwow dancer.

Career
Miles was offered the role of Marilyn Whirlwind when she was spotted in the waiting room at an audition. This came as a surprise as she had not come with any intent to audition—she was only there to give her mother, Armenia Miles, a ride. She had no previous acting experience. She gained respect in the American Indian community, not only for portraying a Tlingit woman, but for her efforts to make sure the character was a culturally accurate representation. Miles was named Native American Woman of the Year in 1993, and America's Celebrity Indian of the Year in 1995.

In 1995, Miles was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the Northern Exposure cast in the category, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Since Northern Exposure, Miles has done tours with her dancing and stand-up comedy, has emceed at numerous powwows, and had roles in independent films such as Smoke Signals, Skins and The Business of Fancydancing. With fellow comedian Drew LaCapa (Apache), she has made an exercise video ("RezRobics") addressing diabetes rates among Native Americans. The video mixes powwow dancing, martial arts, and aerobics moves with nutritional advice. In contrast to the usual FBI warning, the creators encourage people to copy the video freely and distribute it among friends and relatives in Indian Country.