She was the first daughter of cultural leader Marceline Paul (
Ktunaxa) and
George Manuel, Sr (
Secwepemc). Both her parents were survivors of the
Canadian Indian residential school system. Manuel grew up on the
Neskonlith reserve in the interior of
British Columbia. She lived for many years as an adult in coastal
Vancouver,
Canada. She died there in January 2010, aged 61. Manuel worked in diverse communities across North America. She wrote and produced numerous
plays exploring cultural oppression and genocide in First Nations communities. She worked both independently and through Storytellers Theatre of
Cookeville, Tennessee, writing and producing
The Strength of Indian Women and ''
Every Warrior's Song''. ==Legacy and honours==