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Miisstamiiwa
Danielle Tailfeathers
Deer hide, stiff felt, seed beads, brass studs, faux elk teeth, red jasper, and turquoise
2020
“It could be anyone”, this is the meaning of Miisstamiiwa in Blackfoot. I thought this was a fitting title for my piece. My identity has been shaped by the pandemic, just as most of ours have, with the added accessory: a mask. As part of my new identity, I wanted to include what is important to me, my children. This layout was inspired by tipi designs I was researching. The top of the mask shows the morning star, usually painted on the top of tipis. The morning star is the brightest star at dawn. We used the stars and constellations as navigation tools and a symbol of hope and guidance. The red lines at the top represent rainbows and sky spirits. The smooth line at the bottom displays the plains and prairies, where my people’s original territory extends to. I used the colors of the medicine wheel to outline myself and my children and to also represent the four directions. My eldest in red, myself in black, my middle child in yellow, and my youngest in white. And I used brass studs, faux elk teeth, and stones for a personal touch on my own design.
About Danielle Tailfeathers
Danielle Tailfeathers is a Blackfoot mother of three, from the Kainaiwa First Nation. She currently resides in Lethbridge, Alberta while attending the University of Lethbridge to pursue a career in Social Work. Primarily, Danielle has been beading and sewing mainly for beadwork and regalia purposes for over a decade, with casual work in painting and sculpting. She finds herself drawn to working with traditional aesthetics and incorporating family symbols into her pieces.
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