WC Wisconsin News

This spring, Ho-Chunk artists Levi and Verna Blackdeer led a workshop at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The event focused on Indigenous art, specifically the design of deer hides. The Blackdeers demonstrated their methods for transforming deer hides into significant pieces of art.

Levi Blackdeer commented on the creative process, saying, “I think it is kind of fun because it is taking something that someone else has no regard for and making something out of it.” This artistic technique has been passed down through generations in Levi's family. It involves smoking patterns onto deer hide using stencils. The Blackdeers have refined this method to make it more mobile and accessible for educational purposes.

The workshop offered UWL pre-service teachers hands-on experience with the process. Project Director Lisa Lenarz, a UWL associate professor of art, explained how this exposure could inspire teachers to incorporate Indigenous art education into their classrooms.

UWL student Amy West emphasized the importance of sharing this cultural practice: “They want to pass this down to future generations because not many people do this. Being able to have this opportunity — opening up their culture to share with everyone — is really special.”