Unidentified Native American novelist

[fuingala]

I am looking for the name of a novelist I remember reading, but I don't remember the names or stories of any of her books. I remember reading a book jacket and being fascinated with the diversity of her background, and I remember that her books were excellent, and I would like to read her again, but all I can remember is a lot of information about the author herself!! Sort of odd and a little bit creepy to me how much I remember about her, actually, but it's always very strange what memory does as you get older, and perhaps all that detail will help in my rather hopeless-seeming quest. So here is what I remember about the author.

She would be in her early 40's now.
Categorized in the libraries as "adult literary mainstream fiction".
Was first published in the mid 1980's.
Has a son.
Born in Florida.
Is half Danish, half Native American (Illiniwek, if I recall correctly).
Studied creative writing and then has Ph. D in history. (Perhaps specialized in ancient history or early church history?)
Was at one point a counselor of some sort.
Also teaches university courses in history.

It is strange and frustrating that I can remember so much about the author, but have no recollection of her novels other than that they are very good!! I do remember that at least some of them are about Native Americans. Thanks in advance for any help!!

[felinechums]

Joyce Carol Oates perhaps?

[fuingala]

It's not Joyce Carol Oates; she was born in upstate New York and only has a Master's degree. But thanks for the effort... hopefully I can figure this out somehow or someone knows, because now it's driving me crazy. It's worse than only being able to remember one line of a song!