Gemstone Isle

Name: Awanata Catori (Turtle Spirit)
Nicknames: Kaya - Oldest Sister, Wakanda - Possess' Magical Powers
Codename: Totem
Age: 15
Birthdate: June 16, 1993
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 120 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Family: Two Younger Brothers(Zach Catori 12, Brian Catori 8), Father (Cheveyo Catori) , Step Mother (Catherine Schultz) and Grandmother (Namid Luyu)
Residence: New York
Origin/Hometown: Nowhere, New Mexico
Personality: Shy, quiet, curious
Hobbies: drawing, painting, spray painting and chalking on sidewalks, reading, mechanics, telling stories,
Education: Highschool drop out
Occupation: Street artist
Mutations: The ability to make drawings move
History: Born in Gallup, New Mexico her mother died at child birth from complications in the hospital. Her family moved quickly back out to their reservation where her father resumed his work as an automechanic. He re-married two years later and things in life seemed fine. A year later her first born brother was born. Her step mother was not a fan of the Native American style that Totem's family had kept and she started to make changes. The first thing, after the redecoration of the house was to name the baby Zach. Totem was too young to really understand the changes that took place though she did understand thather mother was gone and this woman was here to replace her. Her grandmother though stepped in and refued to allow her families heritage to be ignored. In the afternoons she would teach the children the stories of their people and the myths. Totem grew up knowing about her mother's family and the stories of her people. Totem was younga nd her grandmother was the one to realize she was not a shy child, she was a mute. This seemed to not bother her father but the idea of her abnormality was a constant grind on Catherine.

At the age of 12 as she went through her tribes right to adolescence she was given her first tattoo. It was something simple, her totem, a turtle. At first nothing happened but at the moment her grandmother declared the tattoo was finished the turtle began to swim in a small circle. It was at this time that her grandmother and the other adults of the tribe who believed in the old ways dubbed her affectionatley, Wakanda. Her stepmother was not at all pleased with the tattoo but it seemed to have stopped by the time the girl returned to her father's home. Over the course of the next four months she received many pictures on her skin all of which moved when given the opportunity. At this time her stepmother knew nothing of Totam's gift and Totem did not wish to tell her. On a late afternoon in spring after Totem came home from school she went to change out of her school clothes when Catherine walked in and saw the tatoos on Totem's back. After a moment of staring the tattoos began to move. Horrified that her stepdaughter was one of those dreadful mutants she called her husband and they had a "family meeting". With Catherine's careful persuasion she convinced her husband to take Zach and Totem and go to New York where a school for "special children".

Thankful to be rid of the final reminder of his first wife, Cheveyo agreed and packed up a bag of Totem's things and they flew to New York. She neevr reached Xavier's though, instead tragedy struck the young mutant and her family. As her father marched her from the airport through the streets of New York to Xavier's they were mugged. It wasn't the normal sort of mugging, take the wallet and run. No, this was a gangs crime of sorts, a initiation. In the end Totem was left with her father dead, splattered across the bricks and her brother splattered across her skin. She was able to get her brother to the hospital where she waited to see if he would pull through. Catherine came out and she had Zach moved away from New York, leaving her dead husband and his daughter behind without a thought. With nowhere to go she turned to the streets, her mutation gaining her money as she would use chalk to make pictures that moved and people would drop coins. Traveling around, she would sleep from time to time with huddled teens but with her inability to talk and being a somewhat small girl she was overlooked by most groups. After the assassination of the president mutants were more hated than before and her streetwork had to stop. Totem was lost in the city and now she simply drifts.