Boozhoo Aaniin!
Boozhoo Aaniin! Wiisagi Ma’iingan ndizinikaaz. Makwa Ndoodem. Odawa ndaaw. Waganakising Odawa nadadibendaagwaz.
Hello! My name is Wiisagi Ma’iingan or A. I am Bear Clan from the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians.
I am a queer Indigenous designer, writer, artist, speaker, and community member. Sometimes I host workshops in classrooms about decolonization.
Accomplishments
2024- Common Ground Catskills: Recently, I have had the distinct honor and privilege to co-create an organization called Common Ground Catskills. Common Ground is an organization rooted in creating local opportunities for Queer and BIPOC families and community members. We focus primarily on the exploration of arts and nature. To learn more about Common Ground, Click Here.
2023- Published Author; In December, I co-authored and published a book with the three people closest to me. The book is about magic, healing, and the medicine wheel. The book, ‘The Four; Awaken the Magick Within’ is available for purchase here.
2023- Present, Ribbon Skirt Project: In the late fall of 2023, I began fundraising in tandem with Nipinet, co-owner of Red Clover Tattoo Studios to bring the Ribbon Skirt Project to the Two-Spirit Care Project. A project designed to send out 30 care packages to Two-Spirit Youth in the “US” of Turtle Island. For this project, I have been lovingly creating 30 ribbon skirts and hoodies to accompany the care packages created by Nipinet.
2024, NFTNYC: My artwork, MMIWG2S will be on display in the Community Artist Showcase (and Times Square) at NFTNYC 2024 in New York City, raising awareness for the ongoing MMIWG2S+ crisis across Turtle Island.
2022- 2023, Indigenous Voices in Web3: This initiative first started as a way to raise awareness for ICWA in June 2022, when the case was first headed to the Supreme Court. After a give-away, where participants were entered to win (donated) Indigenous artwork if they provided proof that they signed and shared petitions to protect ICWA, we hosted a Twitter Space to speak about ICWA and the issues faced in the Indigenous Community. Since then, I and my co-creators have hosted weekly spaces to highlight Indigenous Artists and speak about things going on in the community.
2023, NFTNYC: I was able to speak on the first all-Turtle Island Indigenous panel at NFTNYC. I had the honor of facilitating a conversation with three other Indigenous artists about technology, NFTs, and what all of this could mean for Indigenous peoples moving forward. In addition to speaking on a panel, my artwork was displayed at the Community Artist Showcase and in Times Square.
2023, Pink Shirt Day: My artwork was chosen by Strong Nations Bookstore for their Pink Shirt Day design. The design is available for viewing and purchase here.
2022, Holiday Season: I had the honor of working with Our Healing Hub to host a 24-hour live Twitter space to fundraise for Indigenous Elders and children of Turtle Island and Puerto Rico. We were able to raise about $4,000 to purchase clothes, food, and gifts for the holidays. We featured an auction, showcasing the work of Indigenous artists. For auctions won, the artists received compensation, and the remainder went towards the fundraiser. This was done to ensure an equitable fundraiser all around.
2020 & 2021, Holiday Season: I was able to work with local community organizers on the Jersey Shore to provide local families with clothes and gifts for the Holidays.