Pat Mendoza Bio: Pat Mendoza, an internationally acclaimed storyteller, was also an author, singer, composer, humorist, and musician. He was nominated by United States Congressman Mark Udall to represent his home state of Colorado at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Pat's career as a writer, storyteller and songsmith has been unique to say the least. He lived and worked with indigenous peoples in different cultures, in three countries and was formally adopted by the Cheyenne and honored by Lakota people for his storytelling performances. As a result, his unusual stories from native cultures linger in memory and have an authentic style that makes his writing unique. Prior to his performing career, Mendoza was a police officer and martial arts instructor (he held black belts in Kung fu and Tae Kwando) for seven and a half years (including a year and a half as a homicide investigator). He was a member of two state champion swimming teams, and was an avid weightlifter, martial artist and a PADI certified open water diver.