Displayed at The Burpee Museum Until January 2023

A self-taught artist and teacher of traditional ways, NHBP Tribal Member AnungoKwé Alexandria Sulainis, 32, of Lac de Flambeau, Wisconsin, always knew she wanted to do something artistic. Sulainis trained as a licensed cosmetologist, but she felt compelled to do something that more directly tied her to her Culture and heritage as Neshnabé.

“Although I received no formal training as an artist, nor was I raised traditionally, I have learned much as an adult,” Sulainis said. “I am an educator at heart, and with my partner, Biskakone Greg Johnson, I love sharing what we have learned with others in the traditional space, whether it’s Cedar mat-weaving, moccasin-making or beadwork.” 

Sharing her work has become second nature for Sulainis, so much so that she and Johnson were each specially invited to participate in the temporary exhibit titled “Of This Place” by the Burpee Museum, located in Rockford, Illinois.

“Of this Place” showcases the Native People from the Sac and Fox, Potawatomi and Ojibwe Nations, curated by Starla Thompson of Forest Band Potawatomi. The exhibit runs through January 2023 and is funded by Chicago Blackhawks Foundation & BMO Harris Bank.

According to its website, the Burpee Museum invites all to “learn about the histories of the three represented Nations from their cultural educators and artists as you experience the living cultures and languages of the Native American people who are of this place.”

Sulainis curated more than a dozen pieces from her personal art collection, including beadwork with a medallion, birch baskets and many acrylics on canvas paintings she has created over the past few years.

The work she created specifically for the Burpee Museum exhibit, “Dandelion Leaves & Ashes,” represents the residential boarding school era, which Sulainis cites as “the cause of deep intergenerational trauma that we still see the effects of today.”

“When the museum team brought me on board for this project, they had no restrictions on whatever message we wanted to convey. I chose to use this as an opportunity to educate people on the atrocities committed by the boarding schools and the effects that we still deal with them today. Not being restricted in voice is what led me to create the dandelions and ashes piece instead of something more lighthearted – I feel like it’s something everyone should know. I also wanted to talk about traditional living in a modern context.”

An excerpt from Sulainis’ artist statement demonstrates how connected the traditional ways are with the land and its seasonality:

What does it look like to live traditionally within a modern context? A lot of our ways center on the land and our communities. Food Sovereignty is a key focus of ours – hunting, gathering, gardening, seed keeping, and passing down original food preparation and preservation methods. Our lives revolve around the seasons – the land doesn’t wait for our schedules to align. When it’s time to spear fish, we’re on the ice and on the water. The musky and walleye harvested in winter and spring help feed our families protein until it’s time to harvest venison in the fall. In the spring, there are medicines to gather, then wild onions, then wild berries, we sow our seeds together for the vegetables we’ll need and pray protection over our corn, squash and beans. Before it’s time to go hunt again, we’ll go out in our canoes and knock Mnomen, or Wild Rice.

Located on the first floor of the Burpee Museum, the exhibit represents both contemporary and traditional artworks from Tony Tiger and Jason Wesaw, as well as the contributions from Sulainis and Johnson.

Within the display proudly hangs the flag of the NHBP Tribe.

“I am very excited to represent the NHBP Tribe and the Chivis family on such a large scale,” Sulainis said. 

In addition to displaying their artwork, Sulainis and Johnson host Traditional crafts and Life Ways throughout the Midwest, such as moccasin-making, puzzle pouches and hide-tanning workshops. The couple regularly presents at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, educating about treaty rights and food sovereignty.

Sulainis and Johnson also have been invited to host traditional craft workshops at The Annual Potawatomi Gathering in the summer of 2023, which NHBP will host.