C. Shaun "Kainaw" Wagner

About Me

I was born. I lived. I died.

More About Me

More? I am a Luddite programmer.

I have a varied history. I've lived in Missouri, California, and South Carolina. I've worked in movie theaters, the military, fast food, electronics, and the health industry. I've written for newspapers, acted in plays, and designed movie theaters. I've taught in elementary school, the military, corporate training, and university courses.

I've done a lot, but what do I want? I want to teach and I want to do architectural design. I like cartography, but that is a dead field. I like to design things, but I prefer to do it without computers.

So, what am I doing now? I am a programmer for health informatics. If I do a good job, I help people get healthier. I also teach now and then for local universities. Most of all, I am a father. I work to make money to raise my children in the hopes that they won't have to work just to make money.

What does Kainaw mean?

I am very often asked what Kainaw means (and how you pronounce it). It is pronounced "Cane" as in a walking cane and "Aw" as in "aww, you stubbed your widdle toe." It is a purposeful misspelling of Kainah, one of the Blackfoot Native American tribes. I chose it long long ago, before the Internet was popular, as an online username for various discussion boards. I wanted it to be unique. So far, I have found many people named Kain, but nobody named Kainaw. Therefore, I believe it has served the purpose as a rather unique username.

So, why did I choose Kainah to change into Kainaw? I am mostly a standard American mix of various European nationalities. I figure I'm mostly English and German. I do have some Blackfoot lineage, which is not all that rare, but it is something. When I was brainstorming for a good username, I happened to read about Blackfoot tribes: Siksiki, Piegan, and Kainah. I didn't think that Siksiki or Piegan would make a good username. Kainah (or Kainaw) seemed a good fit and I've stuck with it for well over 20 years now.