marie watt was born in  in seattle washington she majored in art and communications at willamette university in salem oregon she also explored museum studies at the institute of american indian arts in santa fe she holds an afa degree from the institute of american indian arts a bs degree from willamette university and an mfa degree in painting and printmaking from yale university watt is a member of the turtle clan of the seneca nation and her fathers family were wyoming ranchers these two factors in her background have influenced her artwork watt describes herself as "half cowboy and half indian"