Kay WalkingStick was born in Syracuse, New York, to a Cherokee father and a non-Native mother. In her paintings and prints, she has consistently addressed the issue of mixed ancestry, the meaning of land and landscape, and the spiritual dimension of the physical (whether of self or land). Her work frequently contrasts and connects the abstract and the representational.

WalkingStick was named a "Distinguished Artist" for the Eiteljorg Fellowship for Native American Fine Art in 2003.