Having been raised in Albuquerque until age 13, Monte’s family moved to Tulsa near Muskogee, OK., where he was born which is now part of his tribe’s reservation. An enrolled member of the Muscogee(Creek) Nation, Monte is celebrating 50 yrs as an actor including having performed in the first professional theatrical production in 1989 in Santa Fe called Santa Fe Spirit and in the first theatrical production presented by SWAIA during Indian Market in 1993 called Sacred Woman, Sacred Earth. A SAG-AFTRA member also, he's represented by the O' Agency. He earned a BA in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in 1986. Studying painting at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe is what brought him back to New Mexico in 1988. His mother Betty Deer Shannon was a founding member of the American Indian Theater Company in Tulsa in the 70s and his father Hugh Carden was president of Conway Twitty Enterprises. Born in the 1800s, his grandparents were both original land allottees in Indian Territory before Oklahoma was a state. He is married to UNM Professor Emeritus of Law John P. LaVelle.
Itsa-Lichii Gomez- a Lipan/Mescolero Apache and Huesteca actor, healer, and non-profit leader with a background in Traditional Healing, Psychology, Sustainability, and Theater. President of the Indigenous Institute of The Americas, a 501c3 non-profit volunteer driven organization, dedicated to stewardship for Mother Earth preserving/sharing traditional Indigenous ways and values. He works as a Caretaker through the Veterans Administration and is also studying Psychology and Sustainability at the University of New Mexico. His first on stage performance was Baloo The Bear in the Jungle Book at 6, and his first on screen apprence was in the original Walker Texas Ranger at 7. Latest works- acting, writing for TV/Film in NM and CA, and modeling, most recently walking for New York Fashion Week in 2026, and during SWAIA 2026. From a legacy of educators, storytellers, dancers, and warriors, his passion for stories and storytelling continues on through stage screen and writing.