Perry is of New England Native (Aquinnah Wampanoag) ancestry. She graduated with a degree in Marine Science in 2001 from UMass Dartmouth, where she also studied illustration with mentor Dr. Ronald Campbell and attended Shoals Marine Lab. Perry gained an intimate knowledge of marine crustaceans and fish while working in labs and conducting off-shore fisheries research on the northeast Atlantic. Following work for Jamestown Marine Offshore, she made the transition to cultural heritage work and is employed by her tribe in that capacity. Perry harvests local natural resources: quahog shell, white cedar bark, and milkweed bast, for making original art and museum-quality reproductions; she draws inspiration from the Eastern Woodlands material culture and folklore traditions. She has practiced weaving and wampum jewelry design for many years and exhibits on a regular basis.