Art Echoing the Voices of His People
Stanley Goodshield Hawkins is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and has been practicing his craft for nearly 30 years. Raised in San Jose, California, Stanley moved back to the Rapid City area in 1969.
He launched Black Hawk Creations in November 2014, and today, his business has multiple lines, including wood products, Native jewelry, and regalia.
In 2017, Stanley earned a bachelor’s degree in Business and an associate’s degree in Arts in Lakota Studies from Oglala Lakota College and currently teaches classes on traditional arts. He is a 2020 First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Fellow.
Stanley traced the rawhide X on the back of the hand drum, showing his work to the KEVN- Black Hills FOX news camera. The buffalo hide drum he crafted echoes the voices of his people, as does each handmade piece he creates. The TV news feature captured a brief glimpse into Stanley’s artistic life.
After 28 years in the electronic field, he longed to reconnect with his peoples’ culture. He’s put his engraving and woodworking skills to use by making pool cues embellished with traditional designs. He also makes men’s and women’s breastplates, shields, earrings, chokers, turtle rattles, bracelets, and necklaces. A box of buffalo bone ribs showed up at his studio one day, and he turned those into a men’s breastplate.
“I produce what I consider traditional style, but I leave some room to create my own style in the design,”
“I produce what I consider traditional style, but I leave some room to create my own style in the design,” he says. “I only use the best and close-to-time period components available. My work is as close to traditional as I can get, with old-style beads and other supplies becoming scarce.”
Being as correct in his materials and processes as possible, Stanley regularly consults elders and artistic peers like Kelly Looking Horse (Oglala Lakota), also a First Peoples Fund fellow. Stanley has learned to approach each piece with a right attitude, smudging, and a prayer.
“You are never supposed to start anything if you are in a bad mood,” he explains.
In 2007, he began making regalia and jewelry for relatives and friends. In 2014 he launched Black Hawk Creations.
“I started out of pocket and later looked for funding,” he says. “Lakota Funds stepped up and gave me a loan. It took several years of creating before I started making a profit.”
He opened a studio at Racing Magpie in Rapid City, South Dakota, and has three apprentices working with him: two grandsons and a niece. His work in wood, leather, feathers, and stones has become recognized in the community for its authenticity and craftsmanship.
“This inspires me because I want this practice to be continued by future generations.”
But Stanley feels he is always learning, continuing to consult elders as he creates art that echoes the voices of his people. “This inspires me because I want this practice to be continued by future generations.”
