Background Story

At the age of six, Mikella's mother was killed in a car accident. Raised by her stepfather, an aboriginal mantracker, Mikella and her brother Albert were taught how to track and survive in the wilderness.

Young Mikella became so clever at tracking, she could find almost anything that was lost. This often included Albert. As an interracial child, the small shy boy spent most of his childhood being beaten up or hiding. Every day, after school, Mikella and the family dog would go find her younger brother Albert. As they walked home, Mikella would tell stories to keep him from crying. One favorite was about a raven who was always nowhere to be found. She spent so much time away from her own kind, that other ravens no longer recognized her. The loneliness was unbearable, so she began rescuing the lost who were always happy to see her. Mikella's stories were a great comfort to Albert and many reflect her ongoing experiences as a search dog handler.

The family dog died when Mikella was sixteen. To cheer her up, Albert and his father brought home a scrappy little pup found starving on the Rez (reservation). Stubborn as 'stone', Mikella named the dog after her grandfather Ebenezer. The intense little pup was soon called 'Ebbey' for short. Though less than ideal as a pet, and taught many bad habits by the family's pet raven, Ebbey's intensity and high prey drive singled her out as a tracker. Mikella began channeling the pup's strong instincts into searching.

Working as the 'Dog Raven Search Team', Mikella and Ebbey began volunteering with the local sheriff's search dog unit. Their find ratios were dismal for the first two years, but with her stepfather's help, 'Mikella & Ebbey' soon became Mountain Wind's best trackers. By Mikella's twenty-second birthday, she and Ebbey were the lead search dog team in North West Montana. Regional media outlets have their photos on file and several of their finds have received national coverage.

Like their mother, Mikella and Albert both became artists. Mikella illustrates children's books. The money isn't great, but flexible working hours are essential for a search dog handler. Teaching himself to animate, Albert now creates animations. After rave reviews for a series of aboriginal legends, Albert just signed a deal to produce an animated television series called 'Search Dog's Raven'. The new series tells the real life adventures of his sister Mikella and her wilderness search dog Ebbey. Stories are inspired by native lore and each episode can prevent you from becoming lost in the wilderness.