Born on Onondaga Nation territory and the homelands of her father, Diane Schenandoah holds the responsibility of Faithkeeper for the Oneida Nation. She was born into the Wolf Clan where her mother, Maisie, was a Wolf Clan Mother for Oneida Nation. As a young woman, she pursued her love of the arts at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, NM and later at the Institute of American Indian Arts/Santa Fe, mentored by Chiricahua Apache sculptor Allan Houser/Haozous.

Diane is an artist with many talents: creative writing, singing, sculpture, and carving. Her art practice centers on a respectful and loving relationship with her materials of choice such as natural woods, clay, stone, and bone, all worked with a sense of care and attention that comes across to the viewer. Her sculptures of women, always tenderly depicted, bring focus to the significant roles of women as mothers, nurturers, wisdom keepers, and life-givers. Her art is grounded in teachings and philosophies of Haudenosaunee wisdom and knowledge.