Hello! I'm so glad that you're here.

Aanii, ndinaawamagaanadog!

Maygabow Ogidajew Kwe, nindizhinikaaz. Gaa-waabaabiganikaag + Um’oha, 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, I currently reside on the unceded lands of the Um’oha people, commonly known as Omaha, NE, USA. I am Eagle clan.

A two-spirit mischief maker, multi-disciplinary designer/artisan, scholar, writer, and healer, I have an eclectic creative background including fashion, costume, hand drawn digital textile design, and site specific installations.

"Beauty truly is medicine."

- Valerie

My multi-disciplinary creative practice explores, and is deeply influenced by, my lived experiences as a mixed-blood Annishnaabe kwe; focusing on the confluence of healing, social justice, traditional Anishinaabe teachings, and the power of identity. Some highlights of my design work seen across Turtle Island include McCarter Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Sea World: San Diego, the National Museum of the American Indian, Pilobolus Dance Theatre, and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

While having the great honor of attending the Indigenous Haute Couture Residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, I developed, amongst many things, my signature technique of laser engraving hand drawn digital designs onto fabric and leather goods for textiles and upcycling garments.

A bit of a unicorn, my very active creative research and scholarly practice focuses on indigenizing and decolonizing western design practices, paradigms, and pedagogy.

Interested in indigenizing/decolonizing work?

Check out Publications and Press for some of my writings

+ follow me on Instagram for the most current musings, news, projects, and other nifty happenings.

Let's connect:

@valeriestpierresmith

Miigwech agindan- thank you for reading!