Bizaanide’ewin — Peace of Heart
Caitlin Newago (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) is a 2020 First Peoples Fund Artist in Business Leadership fellow residing in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Battling multiple, chronic health issues, Caitlin has found it nearly impossible to adopt traditional neurotypical work standards. However, as an artist from birth, she has dabbled in many mediums, currently focusing on mixed media art with wiigwaas (birchbark) and acrylics. She started her first business at age 21, opening Bizaanide’ewin Beadwork & Supplies in 2016 after leaving a toxic relationship and using the income to rebuild her life.
She is using the funds from the fellowship to break barriers by purchasing new equipment and securing her livelihood by growing her customer base.
The birchbark crackles and pops as the tree releases material that Caitlin needs to create her specialty jewelry pieces. She had carefully cut, then peeled away the bark from the birch tree. It was just a couple of years ago that her father taught her how to harvest the bark and to work with it. It’s now become a vital part of what she does in her art business. But more than that, working with the birchbark is therapy for Caitlin.
“Bizaanide’ewin translates to ‘peace of heart.’ I hope that my art will evoke the same emotions of joy, wonder, and contentment in others who view and wear it.”
She left her abuser in early fall of 2017 and has been working full-time from home ever since. Her five-year-old son, Makoons, is the driving force behind her healing and her art business.
“Taking my creative abilities and combining it with a historical medium, I thought it was the perfect way to do something I would enjoy and be able to support my son at the same time,” she says.
On the Bad River Indian Reservation, Caitlin harvests birchbark by hand. At home, she lays it flat to dry and presses it under weights to keep the flat shape. She cuts, files, then cleans the bark with a fast-drying disinfecting solvent. She meticulously hand paints the earrings she’s made with acrylic paints before adding any final touch-ups or Swarovski embellishments. Each piece goes through an in-depth sealing process to ensure quality and durability.
“I’ve come to find a place where I feel like I truly belong, and have finally found my calling in life. To have something feel so completely right is a blessing — I’ve never experienced anything remotely like it.”
“I’ve learned not only about my own culture, but about the unique characteristics of others as well,” Caitlin says. “I’ve come to find a place where I feel like I truly belong, and have finally found my calling in life. To have something feel so completely right is a blessing — I’ve never experienced anything remotely like it.”
She hopes she can promote healing as she connects with and uplifts other abuse survivors through the process of reconnecting with her culture.
“I try to use Ojibwe language on my website,” Caitlin says. “Bizaanide’ewin translates to ‘peace of heart.’ I hope that my art will evoke the same emotions of joy, wonder, and contentment in others who view and wear it.”
