Douglas Miles was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and currently lives on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. In addition to being a painter, Miles is also a poet and an actor. Working mainly in ink, colored pencil, and acrylic, he is known for his contemporary Apache depictions. Miles is one of a few nationally-recognized Apache artists. With themes that cover tradition as well as modernity, Miles focuses mostly on Apache warriors, dancers and musicians. Since youth typically respond to art that they can relate to, Miles sometimes adds the names of important chiefs and warriors to his work—as graffiti. He also developed Apache Skateboards, a program designed to support the athleticism of skateboarding that emulates the strength, endurance and tenacity of warriors. Since its original inception, the program has expanded beyond athleticism to include the arts, education, political awareness and empowerment.