Delina White facts for kids

Delina White is a talented Native American artist. She also works hard to help the environment and stop violence against women.

Delina is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. She belongs to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

Delina White's Early Life

Delina White was born in 1964. She is part of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Her Native American name is "Wades in the Water." This name shows how important water is for healing and life.

She grew up in a small home. It did not have running water or electricity. Delina loved walking trails with her cousins. She also enjoyed dancing in powwows as a young girl. Her mother made all her beautiful dancing outfits. These outfits often had special beadwork. Delina learned how to do beadwork at age six. Her grandmother, Maggie King, taught her this skill.

Delina went to Bemidji State University. She studied Business Administration there. It took her twenty years to finish her degree. She was the first person in her family to go to college.

Delina has two daughters, Lavender Hunt and Sage Davis. They help her with her company. Her granddaughter, Nookwakwii, is also called Snowy White.

Delina White's Art and Fashion

Delina White started her own clothing company. It is called I Am Anishinaabe. Her daughter, Lavender Hunt, helps run the company. Her granddaughter, Snowy, is also a model for the brand.

Delina has designed clothes for big fashion shows. One was the Haute Couture Fashion Show in Santa Fe. She also works with other designers. In 2017, she shared her work in Duluth, Minnesota.

She held her first fashion show in 2015. It was called the Great Lakes Woodland Skirts Fashion Show. Delina used her clothes and images. She also narrated the show herself. She shared the history of traditional Native women's ribbon skirts. She explained that ribbon skirts can be worn anytime. Wearing them celebrates Native culture and history. Delina uses fabric, thread, and beads in her art. She also uses other materials.

Delina has won many awards for her work. Her art has been shown in places like the Art Institute of Minneapolis. She often uses modern fabrics from around the world. She also uses traditional materials. These include hand-tanned leather, bones, and shells. She uses them to create beautiful Native designs.

In 2021, Delina had her first show at FWMN. It was in September and called Native Visions. In 2023, the Northern Lights Anishinaabe Fashion Show returned to Minnesota.

The I Am Anishinaabe Collection

Delina White launched her "I Am Anishinaabe" collection in 2015. She found inspiration for this collection from the Great Lakes. Delina wanted the clothing line to support LGBTQ+ communities. This was especially true for those in Native American cultures.

She showed her collection at the Walker Art Center. This was on June 13, 2019. The collection has fifteen modern Great Lakes woodland-style skirts. It also includes items like pipe bags, handbags, and moccasins. Delina said the clothing is "meant to make the individual wearing them, happy." She wants people to "feel good about who they are, be confident and take pride in being a Two-Spirit."

Awards and Special Recognitions

Delina White has received many awards and grants. Here are some of them:

• 2019: Wings Arts Council Master Artist
• 2017: Native Arts & Cultures Foundation Mentor Fellowship
• 2015: Folk and Traditional Arts award from the MN State Arts Board
• 2015: Native Arts & Cultures Foundation Fellowship
• 2015: Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Technology / Equipment award
• 2014: Five Wings Arts Council Community Arts Leadership award
• 2014: Native American Culture Foundation
• 2010: Bush Foundation Fellowship

Art Exhibitions and Shows

Delina White's work has been featured in several exhibitions:

• Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists (2019–2020). This was a traveling exhibition. It was shown at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Frist Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Philbrook Museum of Art.
• Style show at “A Traditional Perspective in the Modern World" (2020). This show was at the Northwest Indian Community Development Center.