ELAINE MILES as KIM

Elaine Miles portrayed Marilyn Whirlwind, Dr. Joel Fleischman's (Rob Morrow) quietly sage assistant, in MCA Television's Emmy Award-winning CBS series Northern Exposure. Marilyn's consistently calm demeanor and few words accentuate Fleischman's neurotic behavior.

Miles was named Traditional Native Woman of the Year by Wichita, Kansas, Native Community. She also received a Totem Award in both 1992 and 1995, and was named Indian Celebrity of The Year by First Americans in the Arts (FAITA). Born in Pendleton, Oregon, Miles was raised outside the Seattle area as a member of the Umatilla tribe, one of three tribes on her reservation. Raised traditionally with her parent's heritage, one-half Cayuse and one-half Nez Perce, Miles learned her Native American culture through ancestral storytelling.

Skilled in the traditional activities of her tribe--beading, pottery and weaving--Miles is also a prize-winning traditional dancer, placing second in the Women's Traditional Buckskin dancing in the Goodwill Games held in Everett, Wash.

Elaine Miles created the role of Marilyn Whirlwind, and worked as a regular for the entire life of the Northern Exposure series. Her recent work includes Tortilla Heaven, Skins, Smoke Signals, Scattering Dad, and The Business of Fancydancing. She also worked on an exercise video which won an award at the American Indian Film Institute. Miles also received the Eagle Spirit Award from AIFI in 2001.