ONEIDA (NBC 26) — At the Oneida Nation, several artists and organizations are working to preserve Native American traditions and culture through Indigenous art.
Liandra Skenandore is an indigenous artist from the Wolf Clan of the Oneida Nation.
"I've always been drawn to art and the different purposes and meanings behind it," Skenandore said.
She weaves traditional baskets out of Black Ash trees, which are harvested from trees in Northern Wisconsin.
“It’s a very healing process, whether you’re aware of it or not," she said. "I think it’s really good to work with natural materials.”
The baskets she weaves can take more than 100 hours, involving tedious patterns and lots of patience.
"This artform really encourages you just to slow down and take some time," she said.
The baskets she makes are shown in art shows, but they also serve a function.
"I make baskets that are meant to be used in daily life, and so a lot of Oneida's utilitarian baskets are related to our corn– corn sifting baskets, pack baskets, corn washing baskets," Skenandore said. "Knowing that whenever I finish those kinds of baskets and they're going to be they're going to be used to help in other aspects of our traditional life, is incredibly rewarding."
The weaving technique that Skenandore uses has been passed down from generation to generation.
“It’s a lot more that goes into it than just creating a basket," she said. "It’s connecting with your history, connecting to your culture and identity.”
Watch the broadcast story here:
The cultural importance is similarly found in another traditional art form.
"Beadwork was one of my first art forms," Rebecca Webster said.
Webster is another artist from the Wolf Clan of the Oneida Nation. She specializes in raised beadwork and has won awards for some of her pieces.
One of her favorite pieces shows traditional patterns mixed with symbols from Star Trek and other comics.
"I love that we can mix some modern with some tradition," she said.
Similar to Skenandore's utilitarian baskets, Webster's beadwork serves a greater function.
“It’s just evolved over time to for us to reclaim it to decorate things that we’re going to wear or we’re going to use, either at powwows, or ceremonies or just in our daily lives," she said.
These art skills wouldn't continue on, however, without continuing education.
The Oneida Nations Arts Program offers art and cultural educational opportunities for not only tribal members, but the community as a whole.
“Share anything and everything that we can in the realm of art and culture," Gabrielle Metoxen, program supervisor for ONAP, said. "We really want to serve all people, regardless of your ethnicity or culture and nationality."
ONAP hosts art classes and workshops, and they also send out online art kits to families. They provide a space for artists to create art, offering a kiln, pottery and metal working room.
“I really enjoy seeing how our people express themselves in all the various ways and how beautiful our culture is," Chrisstara Cornelius, ONAP coordinator, said.
They also work with the Wisconsin Arts Board to provide artists opportunities to go within local schools and teach.
“Art is a way to educate not only our youth, but community members, about our indigenous knowledge, traditions, our art forms," Cornelius says.
ONAP has a goal of preserving Oneida culture through art.
"It's really important that we remember that everything we do can stem from that creative mindset, whether it's simply how you choose to dress yourself and adorn yourself, or how you create the foods and how you plant your garden," Metoxen says. "It can be those hidden-in-everyday things, as well as the more elaborate I want to paint this or I want to create that this."
ONAP isn't alone in its mission.
Woodland Indian Art Inc. is a state-wide non-profit that hosts annual art shows and markets to promote indigenous artists and support their work.
They focus on the Woodland Indian Art style, which includes Native artists from across the Great Lakes and Northeast region.
"It's getting bigger every year, getting more publicity, more donors, more artists," John Breuninger, president of Woodland Indian Art Inc, said. "Our mission, then, is really to make the awareness of Woodland Indian Art through shows markets and education."
They host the Woodland Indian Art Show and Market every November, which is a two day event that showcases indigenous art, hosts a juried art competition and features art vendors.
Breuninger says they hope to help artists succeed and encourage more people to continue on Indigenous art forms.
"That's our life, our language, our art, our culture all revolve around the person and the people that pick this up," he said.
Whether its a larger organization or an individual artist, they're all working towards the same goal of spreading awareness across Wisconsin.
“Art has always been an aspect of life for us," Skenandore said. "Art has always been a tool for helping our people survive.”
“I think it’s scary that there’s still a lot of people that don’t think we’re still here, that we have disappeared and gone away," Webster said. "We are very much here, and we are very much alive and celebrating our culture.”
