Kateri Tekakwitha, the woman credited with life-saving miracles, has become North America’s first aboriginal saint.

She was among the seven people canonized by Pope Benedict during a mass at the Vatican this morning.

Aboriginal Canadians and Americans in traditional dress sang songs to Kateri as the sun rose over St. Peter’s Square.

Tekakwitha, who is also known as “lily of the Mohawks,” was born in New York state in 1656 but later fled north of the border to escape opposition to her Christianity.

She died in 1680 at the age of 24 and her body is entombed in a marble shrine in KLahnawake.