Artwork Description:

Woodland porcupine quillwork on birch bark ceremonial shaker/rattle using a needle awl, tweezers and small scissors. Materials include spring birch bark harvested on the Lake Michigan shoreline, sweet grass braids braided from sweet grass gathered in the swamps of northern lower Michigan, artist harvested porcupine quills washed, dried and dyed using plants, food and commercial dyes, hand carved, sanded and stained with commercial stain wooden oak handle embellished with size 13 vintage, recent and 24k gold Czech charlotte cut beads using the peyote (gourd) stitch beading technique finished with traditional brain tanned smoked deer hide hand rolled fringes and porcupine guard hair tied using the same technique used in tying a men's dance roach. The shaker/rattle musical instrument is displayed on a set of deer antlers. All-natural materials were traditionally harvested, processed and prepared by the artist. Traditionally, the Anishinaabe believe that Migizi "eagle" fly's across Mother Earth looking for prayers to be taken and delivered to Gitchie Manido "God". This new work is inspired and motivated by the many prayers that have been said and sung during these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic.