Kaylene Big Knife

Born to my mother, Kim Big Knife of the Chippewa Cree Tribe, and my father, Eliseo Ramos of Mexico, I rushed into the world on the same day as my father’s birthday. I didn’t grow up with my father’s family, so the love and ways of knowing came from my mother’s side of the family from the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, Montana. After studying graphic design at the Institute of American Indian Arts, I began exploring design motifs from my tribe. Then, I found the wonderful world of the Ojibwe woodlands style and Chippewa/Ojibwe blossoms. With practice and lots of design files later, I landed many poster design jobs, t-shirt design commissions, logo work, and other graphic design jobs in and outside of my community. I’m now known as “Kaylene the graphic artist” or “the girl who does the flowers” in my community, and I could not be prouder.