Zhegagoynak, also called Chicagoland, has long been an Indigenous cultural and economic hub. It is the traditional homeland of the Council of Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa—as well as the Menominee, Miami, Ho-Chunk, Sac, Fox, Kickapoo, and Illinois nations. Today, Chicago has the third largest urban Indian population in the United States. Indigenous voices, however, are often absent from stories of Chicagoland. This silence is damaging. Woven Being begins with the question, What if Indigenous people with ties to the region were the point of entry for thinking about this land?
Guided by Indigenous collaborations, priorities, and voices, this work explores expansive themes, resisting the monolithic storytelling that often characterizes presentations shaped by settler-colonial perspectives and practices. The book is developed in collaboration with four artists who have connections to Zhegagoynak—Andrea Carlson (Grand Portage Ojibwe), Kelly Church (Match-E-Be-Nash-E-Wish Band of Pottawatomi), Nora Moore Lloyd (Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe), and Jason Wesaw (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi). Authors with deep ties to the artists introduce and expand on the artists’ contributions from their own disciplinary and personal vantage points. Excerpts of poetry, prose, and images, chosen in dialogue with the artists, further expand the narrative. An addendum highlights the frequently underrecognized work of Chicago-based Indigenous artists and institutions.
Woven Being offers a new look at art in Chicagoland and its relationship with Indigenous arts across Turtle Island (North America).
Woven Being begins with a powerful question: What if Indigenous people with ties to Zhegagoynak—also known as Chicagoland—were the point of entry for understanding this land? Guided by Indigenous voices and priorities, the publication resists monolithic narratives shaped by settler-colonial perspectives. Through contributions by artists Andrea Carlson, Kelly Church, Nora Moore Lloyd, and Jason Wesaw as well as reflections by authors and poets with deep connections to these artists, Woven Being reframes the cultural and historical landscape of the region. This richly layered book uplifts Indigenous creativity and presence in Chicago while connecting it to broader Indigenous artistic practices across Turtle Island.
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An initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art in partnership with artists and organizations across the city, Art Design Chicago is a series of events and exhibitions that highlight the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.
