Becoming the Grandmothers
Sarah Agaton Howes is an Anishinaabe artist, teacher, and community organizer from Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota.
She was an artist in residence through the Minnesota Historical Society for 2019, and is the recipient of grants for spoken word, writing, bulrush mat research, and Ojibwe moccasin tutorials from the Jerome Foundation and the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council.
Sarah is a 20 Under 40 Award Recipient for her work in community leadership. She was the Artist in Residence for the Duluth Children’s Museum and Madeline Island Museum in 2016-2017. Her work has been featured in the Duluth News Tribune, Portland Art Museum, PBS Native Report, and Indian Country Today.
Sarah is a 2021 First Peoples Fund Artist in Business Leadership (ABL) fellow residing in Cloquet, Minnesota.
In a moccasin-making class, Sarah guided students through the process of learning the art of their grandmothers. They poked themselves with needles and tried to hide their frustration as they struggled through the intricate work. But the moment was coming when Sarah knew their expression would change.
It did. Sarah told them to turn their moccasins right side out. That was the moment the students became their grandmothers.
“Cultural arts are a gift from our ancestors to us,” Sarah says. “We are building Anishinaabe competencies, positive self-identity, and strong community. For me, when I develop one ‘maker,’ I have helped 3 or 4 generations of this family have their own access to the work of our grandmothers.”
Sarah has taught over 700 youth and adults how to bead, make moccasins, and about Ojibwe floral designs in making custom Ojibwe floral beadwork, regalia, and quilts.
“I want to utilize our roots, our values, and our stories to create both beautiful Ojibwe art and teach about the values behind it,” she says.
In 2013, Sarah became an Inspired Natives collaborator with Eighth Generation, making her dreams of what was possible for her own business and cultural arts grow to include the world of digital art and design. She is currently collaborating with two other artists for a public art project — a large installation — at the Springboard for theArts building in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is managing the project and currently drawing the design on the front of the building.
This project interweaves with her 2021 ABL fellowship project to learn about digital art — how to take traditional designs and translate them into contemporary projects.
Like all Native artists, the 2020 COVID shutdown forced Sarah to pivot her business, Heart Berry, to focus on website sales. She also moved to teaching cultural arts via Zoom. “It’s not the same and I don't love it, but it's really nice to connect with people,” she says. “I wish I could teach in person, but it’s better than not doing it at all.”
“I am determined to keep my business and employees above water through this time,” she says. “I believe as Native folks, we are truly well-versed in adaptation. This is the gift of our grandparents. We will continue to strategize on how to stay healthy while building our art and business.”
