Wicahpi Oyate: The Star Knowledge of the Lakotas

Wicahpi Oyate: The Star Knowledge of the Lakotas will explore a philosophy that the Lakota people used to organize their land based practices, social celebrations, and transitions of life.This program was presented by Alexis Estes and Feather Metsch. Alexis Estes is an enrolled member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe with a BA in Indigenous Liberal Studies, and is currently pursuing a MA in Counseling/Art Therapy. Alexis is very interested her tribe's cosmologies and incorporates those beliefs into her work as a yoga instructor and mural artist, and looks forward to someday opening a healing space rooted in Indigenous philosophies. Feather Metsch is an enrolled member of The Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians with a BFA in Digital Art and has been working in immersive and interactive design for almost ten years now. It has always been a passion of hers to share star stories from various Indigenous perspectives as opposed to the common Euro-centric POV. Both women studied at the Institute of American Indian arts, which has a digital dome, and have spent many long nights gazing at the stars in New Mexico, sharing their dreams. To be invited to do this program is an opportunity and great honor to those dreams.