Boozho, hello!
“Aanii, ndinaawamagaanadog! Maygabow Ogidajew Kwe, nindizhinikaaz. Gaa-waabaabiganikaag ndoonjibaa, Migizi ndoodem. Hello, my relatives! My name is Woman Standing on the Mountaintop; Valerie St.Pierre Smith is my English name. A proud descendant of White Earth Nation, I am Eagle clan.”
Wonderer and wanderer, I am a socially engaged experimental artist, designer, educator, and scholar based in Umoⁿhoⁿ, Ní Btháska (anglicized as Omaha, Nebraska).
Fascinated with fashion and the healing power of beauty from an early age, I see creation as an act of care. Challenging notions of “fine art” and contemporary Indigenous representation, I combine my traditional Indigenous practices with western mediums and digital technologies to create installations, performances, and adornment. Rooted in the 7 Grandfather teachings- Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth—my work explores dress as relationship builder, embodied historical record, and social change agent.
Notably, my work has been seen across Turtle Island including at the National Museum of the American Indian, the Mountain Plains Contemporary Art Biennial, Calgary Fashion Week, McCarter Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Sea World: San Diego, Pilobolus Dance Theatre, and independent gallery and exhibition spaces. I have participated in creative residencies, fellowships, and cohorts at Banff Centre for Art and Creativity, Amplify Art’s Alternate Currents, and Great Plains Theatre Commons.
My scholarly work on decolonizing art and design has reached national and international audiences, including at Banff Centre for Art and Creativity, Costume Society of Amercia, United States Intitute for Theatre Technology, and Central Saint Martins, Univeristy Arts London.
International Indigenous Fashion Council founding member and International Liasion for Turtle Island, I am also a founding board member of Healing Ribbons, and have served as faculty and head of costume design at The George Washington University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I hold a B.F.A. from Stephens College and an M.F.A. from San Diego State University. #beautyismedicine