Yvonne Walker Keshick facts for kids

Yvonne Walker Keshick was born on October 19, 1946. Her Native American name is Binaakwiikwe, which means Falling Leaves Woman. She is a talented Anishinaabe artist known for her amazing quillwork and basket making.

About Yvonne's Life

Yvonne Keshick was born in Charlevoix, Michigan. She is a member of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. Her family has been making quillwork for many generations. Her great-aunt, Anna Odei'min, was a famous artist who worked on the WPA Arts and Crafts Project.

In 1969, Yvonne started learning quillwork from Susan Shagonaby. Susan taught her everything, starting with how to clean porcupine quills. Yvonne began making quill art full-time in the 1980s. Today, she lives in Petoskey, Michigan.

Her Amazing Art

Yvonne Keshick is a skilled artist who creates beautiful baskets and quillwork. Quillwork is an art form where artists use porcupine quills to decorate items. She often uses natural materials like birch bark and sweetgrass in her art.

It can take Yvonne a whole year to gather enough quills for one piece of art. Her designs include traditional patterns from her culture. She also uses animal and plant designs that have been passed down through her family. Yvonne does not dye the quills. Instead, she uses their natural colors to create shadows and depth in her work.

She is known for a special way of laying the quills. This method creates cool textures that make her animals and birds look alive.

Yvonne has taught her own children how to make quill art. They continue this family tradition. She believes it is important to share cultural knowledge. Yvonne once said:

I believe it is truly our responsibility to teach others all of the best things of our culture. Teaching! This is what our elders did for us and it is what we as elders have to do for our young people.

You can see her artwork in the collection at the Michigan State University Museum.

Awards and Special Recognition

Yvonne Keshick has received many honors for her art. In 1992, she won the Michigan Heritage Award. In 2014, she was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. This is a very high honor for traditional artists.

In 2006, she was part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. She showed her weaving skills in a program called "Carriers of Culture Native Weaving Traditions." In 2015, she spoke at the Great Lakes Folk Festival.

Art Shows and Exhibitions

Yvonne's art has been shown in special exhibits:

• Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists, (2019), Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.
• Anishnaabek Art: Gift of the Great Lakes, (2016), Harbor Springs History Museum, Harbor Springs, Michigan.