2024 Dreamstarter Creatives are using their art to share and preserve both traditional and modern Native Stories. Art is a way for tribal communities to connect with their culture and each other. Each tribe has its own symbols, motifs, and aesthetics that help tell the stories of its rich culture and history. Since June, these Dreamstarter Creatives have been working hard and creating new pieces to celebrate and continue this legacy.
Norma Two Lance (Oglala Lakota)
Norma Two Lance (Oglala Lakota), 39, of Oglala, South Dakota, had only been sewing star quilts for two or three years when she applied for a $2,500 Running Strong for American Indian Youth® Dreamstarter Creative grant a year ago.
“When I first learned how to sew, I loved it,” she told us at the time, noting that “what I do most is sewing star quilts.”
With the grant she was able to purchase a sewing machine and materials to make the star quilts for her community.
“I think it is important because it helps me and my community whenever someone asks me to make them a star quilt they need for an honoring, a funeral or a giveaway,” said Norma. “My goal is to make quilts for my community without them having to pay a lot of money for a quilt.”
Norma recently reported that in the months since receiving her grant she has provided star quilts to 11 members of her community, and also to a few of the children.
“Before I received the grant, I was just starting out on making star quilts. Now, I’ve seemed to have gotten better at sewing with all the practice I’ve been doing – and with the orders I’ve been receiving,” says Norma.
“One successful thing about this is I am getting better at making star quilts, and also getting faster at completing a whole quilt,” she reported, adding that her only “setback” is that “I have not enough room and storage to do my sewing and storing my projects.”
Ashlen Hicks (The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma)
Ashlen Hicks (The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma), 30, of Idabel, Oklahoma, has been using her $2,500 Dreamstarter Creative grant for beadwork and textile art.
“I chose beading and sewing as my medium not only for their cultural significance, but also for the role they have played in my personal journey of self-healing,” she told us. “These practices have been a source of solace and tranquility during challenging times in my life.
“I find a sense of calm and inner peace, allowing me to process emotions and navigate life’s complexities with clarity,” says Ashlen. “Having practiced these traditions for nearly a decade, I have developed a profound passion and appreciation for the intricate and cultural significance they embody.”
Her project, “Matriarch Circle”, aims to create a series of intricate ribbon skirts pieced with traditional beadwork, each telling a unique story of resilience, cultural pride and empowerment.
“I not only honor my cultural heritage but also find a means of self-expression and empowerment. Practicing these art forms brings me joy, healing and a sense of connection to my roots.”
Harriet Peshlakai (Navajo Nation)
Harriet Peshlakai (Navajo Nation), 45, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, describes herself as a “sewist” as “sewing is what I love to do. My favorite part of the process is picking out the material and constructing all the pieces and seeing the bag come together.
“The end result is my most favorite part,” she told us. “I love seeing the end results because it shows what I am capable of creating.
With her $2,500 Dreamstarter Creative grant, Harriet has been making different styles and sizes of handbags that tell a story of her traditions and culture with each bag having its own story, but connects back “to my beliefs and teachings of what is important in my tradition and shows that I am Navajo.
She explained that living in an urban area the only place she connects with her community is when she is a vendor at craft fairs, art festivals and shows where “I meet all aspects of life, and they see my work and appreciate what I create. They love that I bring my culture into my handcrafted handbags. And they connect to that too.”
Natanii Yazzie (Navajo Nation)
Natanii Yazzie (Navajo Nation), 24, of Fort Defiance, Arizona, is using his $2,500 Dreamstarter Creative grant to purchase silversmithing tools for his Tufa Cast Silver Jewelry project. “I chose silversmithing because silver jewelry in my culture is viewed as a sacred item called ‘nitl’iz’, or ‘hard goods.’
“Silver jewelry is seen as a template for holy people/beings to recognize us Navajo/Diné as their children,” he told us. “Turquois is also added to the silver jewelry because it is our identification to these holy beings and is seen as a spiritually protective item as well.”
Natanii has been making tufa cast silver jewelry with designs deriving from early Navajo star/universe myths and ceremonies. “Star/universe stories are not told as much but are vital in Navajo customs/taboos, including such pieces as rings, pendants, bolo ties and bracelets to showcase these stories each with an informative card explaining the significance of each design backed by the Navajo myths/ceremonies.
Through his project, his goal is “to create pieces that reflect vital creation myths/designs to reinspire youth to delve into their cultural traditions more. I want more Navajo youth to be participating in this storytelling conversation beyond the reservation or wherever they may reside as it’s part of their ancestral identity. And for holy people’s recognition to live in Hózhó (beauty in all aspects of being).”
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